Police officer who fatally shot Vaughan condo shooter cleared of any wrongdoing

Flowers are left outside a condominium building the day after a shooting in Vaughan, Ont., on Monday Dec, 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

Ontario’s police watchdog concluded its investigation into the death of a man who shot and killed five people at a Vaughan condominium in December before being fatally shot by a responding officer.

In a Monday press release, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) said it determined that the York police officer didn’t commit any criminal offense in connection with the shooting.

“On his assessment of the evidence, SIU Director Joseph Martino determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the shooting,” the release read.

“There was no basis for proceeding with criminal charges in this case, and the file has been closed.”

On the evening of Dec. 18, York Regional Police were called to a condominium complex at 9325 Jane St., just north of Rutherford Road, for reports of an active shooter in the building.

“One of the first officers on scene located the shooter in the hallway of one of the floors. When the man refused to drop his pistol, and instead raised the hand holding the pistol as if readying to point it at the officer, the officer discharged his weapon four times,” the release read.

“The man was struck. Despite officers administering first-aid, the man succumbed to his injuries at the scene.”

The man, 73-year-old Francesco Villi, killed three condo board members and two of their spouses before police arrived on scene.

Villi had reportedly been in an ongoing dispute with the condo board before the shooting took place.