1 person shot in Bridle Path mansion reportedly used as Airbnb

One person was shot inside a Bridle Path mansion early Sunday morning, reportedly said to be a short term rental property.

Police say they received a call from a residence on Bayview and Lawrence avenues around 6 a.m.

Upon arrival, officers found a male victim lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the upper body. His injuries are not considered life-threatening at this time.

Police believe there were about 20 to 30 people present at the time of the shooting, but residents in the area say the crowd was much larger.

An area resident, who did not want to be identified, tells CityNews the home is regularly rented out as an Airbnb and the homeowner lives outside the country. Police could not confirm those details.

The resident says that parties are a common occurrence at the home, the street is often filled with vehicles parked on both sides and revelers often spill out of the home, onto the street and onto their driveway as well.

They add that they have been in contact with councillor for Don Valley West, Jaye Robinson, in hopes that something can be done about the issue. They shared extensive correspondence with a number of officials regarding the issue with CityNews, dating back to May 2018.

From the correspondence, CityNews has learned that Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) opened an investigation into the property around June 2018. MLS authorities were also in touch with the homeowner’s representative about the use of the home as a short term rental and “made it clear that the bookings cannot continue.”

The MLS also told the resident that the homeowners were made aware that the city does not condone the use of the property in this manner and that officials may visit the property at any time to “obtain evidence for future prosecution use,” suggesting they were considering the possibility of laying charges.

As of last December the investigation was ongoing but its status is unclear at this time.

The resident says the home in question has been a nuisance for over two years and they have now reached out to Mayor John Tory for a resolution.

Another resident shared video from Sunday morning of people running from the home soon after shots rang out and from the previous night showing people on their driveway.

The Airbnb listing is no longer active but it detailed that the mansion is a five-bedroom property with eight bathrooms, able to host 12 guests. Photos still available online show a luxurious property with a pool and sprawling grounds.

A spokesperson for AirBnB said they are looking into the situation.

“The reported behaviour is abhorrent,” said Benjamin Breit. “This listing is no longer on Airbnb’s platform and we’ve suspended the booking guest as we urgently investigate.”