Man killed in 'callous' shooting in Vaughan neighbourhood

York Regional Police say one person has died after multiple shots were fired in the Thornhill Woods area in Vaughan overnight in what they described as a “callous” and “targeted” shooting that may possibly be connected to a double shooting in Toronto.

Officers were called to the area of Dufferin Street and Summeridge Drive, north of Langstaff Road, at around 3:45 a.m. for reports that a man had been shot at the side of the road.

Police confirmed to CP24 that one man was found at the scene without vital signs and suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The homicide unit has since taken over the investigation.

YRP said they also discovered in the course of their investigation that a man and woman had been shot in North York at around the same time. They said they are looking into the possibility the two incidents are linked, but that it is too early to say for sure.

The call for the Toronto shooting came in at around 4 a.m., according to paramedics.

“Right now, we are working closely with Toronto Police to establish whether or not the people found in Toronto were connected to the shooting that occurred here,” YRP Sgt. Clint Whitney told reporters at the scene Thursday morning.

Toronto Paramedic Services said they transported two people to hospital with serious injuries after shots rang out near Whitburn Crescent and Skipton Court, in the Keele and Sheppard area.

Multiple bullet holes could be seen in the side of a white Ford SUV at that location Thursday morning as police investigated the shooting.

Whitney said there was “no obvious link” between the two incidents, which occurred about 12 kilometres apart, but they did occur around the same time.

He called the fatal shooting “an appalling display of gunfire” in a normally quiet area.

“It's really a callous disregard for public safety and for human life,” Whitney said.

Yellow police tape could be seen cordoning off a stretch of road in Thornhill early Thursday.

“This is a residential community and there were multiple shots fired in this residential community and that's very disturbing,” Whitney said.

He said there was little immediate information available about the parties involved.

“It’s still pretty early in the investigation and we have a lot of work to do in terms of identifications and going through the facts, so I don't have ages at this point or any other information about the victims or any suspects that may be outstanding,” Whitney said.

However he did say the incident appears to be targeted and police do not believe there is an ongoing threat to public safety.  

York police investigate a fatal shooting in Vaughan on March 9, 2023. (Craig Wadman)

Neighbours in the area said they were shocked to wake up to police activity in the normally quiet suburb.

“We're just shocked to see this happening right in our front yard,” Andrey Zavidovskiy told CP24. “And to hear now that somebody has been murdered and there’s a shooting going on so locally, this is very concerning.”

No other details have been released so far.

YRP said they are appealing to any possible witnesses to contact police.