A masked gunman accidentally shot during the chaotic break-in of a Canadian CEO’s home was quizzed by the authorities while he was at the hospital – before being allowed to walk free.
Toronto native Daijohn Richards, 23, faces armed robbery charges and has a Canada-wide warrant out for his arrest over the break-in that unfolded Thursday at the $2.1 million property belonging to MAC Group CEO David Morton.
Morton, 75, his wife, Doriana Zohil-Morton, and their adult daughters were attacked — allegedly by Richards and two other men — but amid the chaos that unfolded in the Bridle Path neighborhood, Richards was shot by one of the culprits, according to investigators.
He checked himself into a city hospital having sustained a shoulder injury – where cops conducted a “number of interactions” with him in line with a long-established policy relating to gunshot victims.
Richards was discharged rather than arrested – as cops didn’t have enough evidence at that point to pin the crime on him. That was before police named him as a suspect Saturday.
“What [investigators] need to make sure is that we ironclad a conviction and we don’t just go off on suspicion,” Inspector Kristy Smith told reporters at a press conference, explaining why Richards wasn’t arrested at the hospital.
“When we are making an arrest, it’s based on reasonable and probable grounds – which is what is required for us by law to make an arrest.”
Richards was not formally named as a suspect until Saturday – and he’s wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant on charges including robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault, and is also accused of discharging a firearm with the intent to wound.
The police revelation that Richards wasn’t arrested at the scene sparked widespread fury online – with police forced to issue a further explanation.
“We want to address some confusion surrounding the investigation into the home invasion in the Bridle Path neighbourhood,” Toronto cops said.
“Investigators immediately recognized the potential connection between the home invasion and the individual who showed up at hospital with a gunshot wound. But recognizing a potential suspect and having enough evidence to arrest them are two different things
“Police need reasonable grounds, supported by evidence, to make an arrest.”
Comments were turned off – seemingly a firewall to shield law enforcement from being bombarded by critics.
Cops have not released any other information about the two other men – only describing them as “armed and dangerous.”
Morton, meanwhile, has since spoken of his family’s trauma following the break-in – that saw the suspects demand valuables before gunshots were fired.
Morton and his adult daughters, Maggie and Cristina, were shot, while Doriana was attacked with the hammer, police said, according to the Toronto Sun. But the CEO said all four members of his family were attacked with the hammer.
“It is difficult to put into words the trauma of experiencing something so horrific in the one place where everyone should feel safest: their own home,” he said in a statement seen by The Post.
“No family should ever have to experience this. People should be able to sleep peacefully in their homes without fear of armed individuals breaking in and threatening their lives.”
He urged anyone with information about the suspects to come forward – while also revealing that his family’s priority is “getting through this together.”
