Toronto police have defended their decision to allow a 23-year-old man to leave hospital after questioning him about a gunshot wound, hours after a violent home invasion at a wealthy family’s mansion.
Daijohn Richards was receiving treatment at St. Joseph’s Health Centre after suffering a gunshot wound to his shoulder when officers arrived and questioned him several times.
However, police said they did not have sufficient evidence to arrest him at the time.
By Friday evening, investigators had gathered enough evidence to identify Richards as one of three suspects in the attack on real estate executive David Morton and his family.
However, Richards had already been discharged and was no longer at the hospital.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant has since been issued for him, prompting widespread criticism of the police decision to release him.
Social Media Users Challenge Police Handling of Investigation
The decision has attracted strong reactions online, with several social media users questioning why officers did not detain Richards despite his gunshot injury and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
One commenter described the situation as difficult to believe, pointing out that three masked men had allegedly invaded the family’s home, shot three people and attacked others with a hammer.
The user also questioned the police explanation that suspicion alone was insufficient grounds for an arrest, noting that Richards had been in hospital and was subsequently able to leave.
Another social media user directly challenged Toronto Police over the decision, questioning whether the public should be expected to accept that a man who arrived at hospital with a gunshot wound to his shoulder was allowed to disappear despite his criminal record and the seriousness of the incident.
Toronto Police Say Suspicion Was Not Enough for Arrest
Toronto Police addressed the controversy on Saturday through a statement posted on X, acknowledging questions about the investigation into the Bridle Path home invasion.
The department said investigators immediately recognized a possible connection between the attack and the injured man who presented himself at the hospital.
However, police maintained that identifying someone as a potential suspect was different from having sufficient evidence to make an arrest.
According to the statement, officers require reasonable grounds supported by evidence before taking someone into custody, and suspicion alone does not meet that legal threshold.
The force also defended the work of its detectives, praising their professionalism and commitment to the investigation while emphasizing that efforts to locate the remaining suspects were continuing.
Inspector Details Officers’ Hospital Interactions With Richards
Toronto Police Inspector Kristy Smith also addressed the decision during a news conference on Saturday.
Smith confirmed that officers attended St. Joseph’s Health Centre after being notified that a patient was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound.
Under Ontario’s mandatory reporting requirements, hospitals must notify police when treating patients with gunshot injuries.
Officers subsequently had what Smith described as numerous interactions with Richards.
However, investigators had not established reasonable grounds to arrest him during those encounters.
Detectives later connected him to the home invasion through forensic investigations and inquiries conducted in the surrounding neighbourhood, with assistance from the Centre of Forensic Sciences.
By the time investigators had assembled the necessary evidence, Richards had already left the hospital.
Three Masked Men Stormed CEO’s $2.1 Million Mansion
The incident happened shortly after 3.30am on Thursday when three masked men armed with handguns and a hammer forced their way into the rear entrance of Morton’s home in Toronto’s affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood.
Morton, 75, who heads Toronto-based real estate company MAC Group, was sleeping alongside his 64-year-old wife, Doriana Zohil-Morton, and their two adult daughters, Maggie and Cristina, aged 28 and 26.
The intruders entered the family’s bedrooms and demanded their personal valuables.
A violent confrontation followed, during which Morton and both daughters were shot. Two members of the family were also struck in the head with a hammer.
Morton and one of his daughters sustained gunshot wounds to their legs, while the other daughter was struck by a bullet beneath her arm.
His wife suffered a head injury after allegedly being hit with the hammer.
All four family members were taken to hospital following the attack.
Two have since been discharged, while the other two remain under medical care with injuries described as life-altering.
Police Believe Richards Was Shot by Accomplice
Investigators believe Richards sustained his right shoulder injury during the confrontation inside the mansion.
According to Smith, evidence suggests that one of the other alleged attackers accidentally shot him during the incident.
Police believe the three men subsequently escaped in a dark-coloured SUV.
Investigators have obtained surveillance images of the vehicle but have not yet established its make or model.
Authorities have not publicly identified the two other suspects.
Police also said the attackers may have selected the affluent neighbourhood because of the valuable possessions likely to be found inside its properties, rather than targeting the Morton family specifically.
Richards Faces Multiple Charges as Police Issue Warning
Richards, who is from Toronto, is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant in connection with the home invasion.
The charges he faces include four counts each of discharging a firearm with intent to wound and robbery with a firearm, as well as three counts of aggravated assault.
He is also wanted for breaking and entering, possessing a prohibited device and wearing a disguise with intent.
Police have released his photograph and warned members of the public that his injured right shoulder may still be causing him discomfort, potentially making him easier to recognize.
Addressing Richards directly during Saturday’s news conference, Smith said investigators knew his identity and were actively searching for him.
She also warned that all three suspects should be considered armed and dangerous, urging members of the public not to approach them.
Morton Describes Family’s Ordeal
Following the attack, Morton described the incident as a terrifying and life-threatening experience for his family.
He said the violence had occurred in the place where they should have felt safest and that the trauma was difficult to put into words.
Morton also said no family should have to endure such an experience, adding that people should be able to sleep peacefully in their homes without fearing armed intruders.
