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Police work the scene of a crime at a home on Hyde Park Circle in Toronto on Thursday.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
A real estate executive is decrying an increase in violent robberies in Toronto after he and his family members were shot during a home invasion in the city’s upscale Bridle Path neighbourhood.
Toronto police are investigating what they described as a random home invasion by assailants early Thursday morning.
David Morton, 75, released a statement on Friday thanking the public for its support after the incident left his family traumatized, with some members still in the hospital.
“What should have been the safety and security of our own home became a terrifying and life-threatening experience,” Mr. Morton, chief executive of the MAC Group, said in the statement.
“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.”
The family includes Doriana Zohil-Morton, 64, and the couple’s two adult daughters Cristina and Maggie Zohil-Morton.
Toronto has seen an increase in home invasions even as shootings and homicides have declined. Canada’s largest city has had 119 home invasions in 2026, up 35 per cent from the same time last year, according to police statistics.
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From left to right: David Morton, Doriana Zohil-Morton, Cristina and Maggie Zohil-Morton.Supplied
Police said Friday they are looking for three suspects, who allegedly broke into the home, went up to the second floor and demanded valuables.
During an altercation, police said, the attackers shot the father and his two daughters, while their mother was injured with a hammer.
Mr. Morton’s statement pointed to an increase in home invasions in the city.
“While we are focused on recovery and supporting one another as a family, we are also deeply concerned about the increasing violence associated with home invasions and the safety of families throughout Toronto,” he said.
“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.”
Shaken by break-ins, an affluent Toronto neighbourhood takes action
The Bridle Path is one of Canada’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, where large houses are hidden behind high walls and wrought-iron gates. The family’s house on Hyde Park Circle is now surrounded by extra police security.
Years ago, the couple started the MAC Group, which rents out luxury apartments in several countries.
The company’s website has a blog by family members which speaks about their life before the attack.
Mr. Morton writes he spent decades in the hospitality industry before striking out on his own. “My career began with some of the world’s leading hotel brands, including Four Seasons and Westin Hotels, before I went on to build our family of businesses,” he says.
His wife Doriana says she is involved in running the MAC Group and also charities, including ones that help provide furniture to teenagers leaving the child-welfare system. “Relationships remain at the heart of everything I do,” she writes.
Maggie Zohil-Morton graduated from Queen’s and Dalhousie universities. “Maggie’s passion for her hometown of Toronto is evident in her work,” the posting says, adding she is “also a trusted Caribbean expert.”
Cristina Zohil-Morton graduated from the University of Birmingham in England and became a lawyer. She now “offers professional legal guidance to those seeking to relocate to Canada,” the family blog says.
On Friday, members of the Toronto Police Service’s mounted unit paraded through the neighbourhood on horseback. Officers in squad cars and on foot were nearby. Commanders of the force say that this show of law-enforcement will continue for the time being.
“Residents can expect an increased police presence in coming days,” Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said in a statement on X. He said he is ordering “additional resources to address this concerning trend of home invasions.”
With reports from Stephanie Chambers