Toronto-area resident arrested for defending property by firing gun

A Vaughan, Ont. resident is in custody after firing shots at car thieves who attempted to steal a Lamborghini from a home’s driveway this morning, according to police.

Source: York Regional Police

A Vaughan, Ont. resident is in custody after firing shots at car thieves who attempted to steal a Lamborghini from a home’s driveway this morning, according to police.

In a series of X posts beginning in the early hours of Thursday morning, York Regional Police recalled officers responding to a 911 call for a “theft of vehicle in progress ” at a home at Pine Heights Dr. and Pine Valley Dr., just south of Teston Rd., shortly after 4 a.m.

The responding officers say they arrested four suspects involved in the alleged car theft. Not long thereafter, however, York Regional Police also announced that a 35-year-old Vaughan resident was also in custody for allegedly firing a gun at the thieves as they attempted to steal a luxury car from a driveway.

“While our call taker was on the phone with our complainant, there were sounds of gunshots in the background,” Const. James Dickson recounted on Thursday.

Upon further detective work, the 35-year-old resident was taken into custody alongside the thieves for “discharging a firearm” and “possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.”

Dickson spoke to reporters about the resident’s choice to discharge his firearm and described it as “not the appropriate one” in this case.

Responses on X disagreed, and offered sympathy to the individual who shot at the thieves in defence of his property, reflecting a growing sense of frustration and lawlessness in Canada.

“Those charges against the home owner need to be dropped, are we now in bizzaro world?” asked one user.