A Vaughan home connected to a slain tow truck industry figure has been shot at for the third time in just two months, prompting renewed calls for stronger police action and community safety measures.
York Regional Police say they were called to Allison Ann Way, near Bathurst Street and Major MacKenzie Drive West, around 5 a.m. Monday after several gunshots struck the residence and a car parked in the driveway. No injuries were reported.
Duty Insp. Peter Cheung told reporters the attack was targeted, and investigators believe it’s linked to two earlier shootings at the same address in September. Witnesses reported seeing a dark-coloured SUV fleeing the scene southbound on Allison Ann Way after multiple shots were fired. Police are appealing to residents for surveillance footage to help identify the suspects.
The house has ties to Alexander Vinogradsky, a prominent tow truck operator who was shot and killed in North York last year. His death was part of a wider wave of violence and organized crime investigations tied to the tow truck industry in the Greater Toronto Area.
Police also believe Monday’s shooting is connected to other targeted attacks on homes in Vaughan, as the city has grappled with a string of gunfire incidents in recent months.
In a statement, Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca condemned the violence, calling it “unacceptable” and saying the city is taking steps to bolster public safety.
“The repeated incidents of targeted shootings at homes in our community are unacceptable,” Del Duca said. “All levels of government and York Regional Police need to do more to put a stop to it.”
Del Duca said the city plans to hire more police officers and install additional crime-fighting cameras to deter criminal activity and assist investigations.
The CBC previously reported that the same home was shot at twice in September, including one incident caught on video. Those attacks were among at least six shootings reported in Vaughan that month, many believed to be linked to ongoing turf wars within the GTA’s tow truck industry.
Police continue to canvass the area and are urging anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward.