Police identify suspect in violent Bridle Path home invasion

Posted October 31, 2026 10:25 am.

Toronto police have identified one of the three suspects wanted in connection with a violent home invasion in the Bridle Path on Thursday.

Investigators say 23-year-old Daijohn Richard was among the three masked suspects who forced their way into the home on Hyde Park Circle in the area of Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East before 4 a.m., armed with guns and a hammer.

Police said the father and the two daughters were shot “multiple times” and two people were struck in the head with a hammer during the confrontation.

Insp. Kristy Smith said in an update on Saturday that police were notified about an individual who showed up a hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. He was later identified as Richard, but investigators say he was discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon before police were able to connect him to the Bridle Path incident.

Police believe Richard was accidentally shot in the right shoulder by one of the other suspects during the home invasion.

Richard is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant on four counts of discharging a firearm with intent to wound, four counts of robbery with a firearm, three counts of aggravated assault, break and enter commit/dwelling-house, possessing a prohibited device and disguise with intent.

The victims have been identified as 75-year-old David Morton, his wife, 64-year-old Doriana Zohil-Morton, and his two daughters, aged 28 and 26.

Morton said the “terrifying and life-threatening experience” left members of his family with serious physical injuries.

“During the attack, three members of our family were shot and are currently recovering in hospital. All four members of our family were also attacked with a hammer, leaving everyone injured and requiring emergency medical attention,” the real estate CEO said in a statement released on Friday.

“No family should ever have to experience this.”

Toronto Police Chief, Myron Demkiw, vowed that his officers would be “relentless” in their hunt for the suspects, who fled the area in a dark coloured SUV.

Investigators believe the home may have been targeted because of its location in the affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood, although the motive remains under investigation.

According to Toronto police, 119 home invasions have been reported in Toronto this year, up more than 35 per cent from the same time last year.

At a Toronto police board meeting in April, Smith said the city saw a significant increase in home invasions in 2024, connected to the rise in violent car thefts.

This year, some neighbourhoods have become “hot spots” for these offences, she said. That includes areas in the police force’s 32 Division, which covers multiple neighbourhoods across North York, and 53 Division, covering midtown Toronto.

The Bridle Path neighbourhood is located in 33 Division, which also saw an increase in home invasion offences, according to police data.

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