Leafs' Victor Mete’s grandfather among victims of Vaughan condo shooting
Leafs defenceman Victor Mete's maternal grandfather, Vittorio Panza, was one of five victims shot and killed inside a Vaughan, Ontario condo building on Sunday.
It was revealed on Tuesday that Vittorio Panza, identified as one of the victims of a Vaughan, Ontario condo shooting that left five dead and a sixth in hospital, is the grandfather of Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Victor Mete.
Panza was 79.
One of the victims in the Vaughan shooting on Sunday, Vittorio Panza, was the maternal grandfather of #Leafs defenceman Victor Mete.
— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) December 20, 2022
Shortly after that heartbreaking news came down, the team released a statement on the tragic shooting and Panza’s passing.
"The Toronto Maple Leafs are shocked and saddened by the tragic shooting that took place in Vaughan this past Sunday," the statement reads.
"Our hearts go out to Victor and his family, to all the families and friends of those affected, and to the local community."
The shooting, which occurred on Sunday evening, was carried out by an individual identified by police as 73-year-old Francesco Villi. A longtime resident of the condominium, Villi had an ongoing battle with the condominium's board members, alleging, among other things, that "electromagnetic waves" coming from the building’s electrical room had "caused him significant pain and suffering over the years."
The four other deceased victims include 57-year-old Rita Camilleri, 75-year-old Russell Manock, 71-year-old Helen “Lorraine” Manock and 59-year-old Naveed Dada. The latter and Camilleri are listed as board directors for the building, while Manock is a former board member, according to court documents.
Villi shot the victims in three different units in the building — located just north of Toronto — before he was shot and killed by an officer during a confrontation on the third floor of the condo, York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween chief said.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear and unconfirmed at this time as a police investigation continues.
Mete, a fourth-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2016, is from the Vaughan area. He inked a one-year deal to play with his hometown Maple Leafs this past summer.
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