‘Remember them’: Candlelight vigil held in Vaughan to honour victims of condo shooting

Over 100 people came out Wednesday night to honour the memory of those lives that were taken in a mass shooting at a condo building over the weekend.

Family members of the victims were joined by friends of those who died along with shocked community members at a sombre candlelight vigil as the community came together for the first time since the shooting took place.

One by one those in attendance placed a candle down in the courtyard at Vaughan City Hall, taking the time to grieve together as one community.

While the families did not want to speak, they listened to the tributes and condolences from community leaders, such as Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca and Pastor Jason Cleugh from Maple Community Church.

“There are no words that can hide your grief. There are no tears that can cover your pain. There are not enough tears you can cry that can express the loss,” said Cleugh.

“Please let your light shine and their memory will live through you. Speak wonderful things of them at this Christmas season. This holiday season, remember them, be thankful for them. We are thankful they are part of our community.”

Del Duca said there are no words that can adequately convey Vaughan’s collective heartbreak, nor are there any words that could provide enough comfort to the victims’ families.

“I have no doubt that we will come together as a community, that we will be there for one another, and there in particular for the family and friends of the victims over the coming days, and that together we will find a way as a community to heal when the time is right,” he said.

“But this is not yet a time for healing. This is a time to grieve.”

Lucy Derasmo, holding a candle, said she was good friends with Camilleri and Panza. When she heard the news of the shooting she texted several people she knows who live in that condo complex, but Camilleri was the only one who didn’t respond.

“Rita was a very outgoing, very generous, very sweet, soft-spoken woman — a really compassionate soul,” Derasmo said.

“She took really good care of Vittorio. They had a really good love connection and loved dancing, loved parties like fundraisers, dinner dances. We were just at a dinner dance about three weeks ago together.”

Other attendees, such as Danny Montesano, didn’t know anyone involved, but still felt compelled to attend the vigil.

“I just came to give whatever I can do to help out to support families,” he said. “I was so shocked … I don’t believe this.”

The five victims fatally shot on Sunday evening at the building near Jane Street and Rutherford Road have been identified as Rita Camilleri, 57, Vittorio Panza, 79, Russell Manock, 75, Lorraine Manock, 71 and Naveed Dada, 59.

A sixth shooting victim — the wife of a condo board member — remains in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Camilleri was a smart and kind member of her community, who had a zest for life, those who knew her said.

She worked for years in the real estate business before retiring and becoming a board member for the Vaughan, Ont., condo building she lived and later died in.

Marilyn Iafrate, a Vaughan city councillor, said Camilleri was passionate about her condo community, advocating for upkeep and upgrades on behalf of all residents.

“She was smart, thorough and tough when needed to be, but was also very reasonable and accommodating,” she said. “Never once were her undertakings for personal reasons, but always for the greater good.”

Fellow condo board member and friend Tony Cutrone said Camilleri had a kind heart and a contagious smile.

She also loved travelling and had a passion for food. Earlier this month, she organized a Christmas party for condo residents and was already planning a summertime barbecue, Cutrone said.

Camilleri was also loving daughter, sister and caring wife who rarely missed suppertime with her husband, who also died in Sunday’s shooting.

“I don’t know how we are going to go on without her,” Cutrone said.

Panza’s death has left a hole Vaughan’s tight-knit Italian community, said Mike Colle, a Toronto city councillor who was friends with the 79-year-old.

Panza was a proud Italian immigrant who was passionate about music and cuisine from his homeland, those who knew him said. He was also an impeccable dresser and a successful Realtor.

“He was your proud, hard-working immigrant Italian father and grandfather,” Colle said, adding that Panza was also gentle and lacking in malice.

“He wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Colle said.

Panza, who was married to Camilleri, was a father to three daughters, and a proud “nonno” to seven grandchildren, including Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Victor Mete.

Those who knew Dada said he was often affectionately called “Mr. Smiley.”

The Pakistani Canadian was a son, brother and successful Realtor who was also a member of the condo board.

“He tirelessly volunteered his time and served to not only help those realize their homeownership dreams, but gave back to the community in which he lived and worked,” the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board wrote in a statement.

Dada spent half his life in Canada and was passionate about helping others, Cutrone, his fellow condo board member, said.

“Naveed is Mr. Smiley,” he said. “He is always trying to make peace.”

Manock was a loving father and grandfather who cherished every moment with his family, said York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween, as he shared what the families of the victims said about their loved ones.

“He was their family rock,” said MacSween, adding that Manock was “trusted and loved by everyone who knew him.”

Manock was also on the board of the condo, but his wife, who was also killed, was not.

Many people who met Lorraine Manock were left touched by her generosity and selflessness, MacSween said.

She was loved by her children and grandchildren, he said.

“Lorraine Manock was the most loving mother, grandmother and sister,” said MacSween. “Selfless, generous, a kind soul.”

She was devoted to her husband, MacSween said.

“They were family soulmates in life and now in heaven,” he said. “The family are devastated by this unspeakable tragic loss.”

No motive yet for ‘horrendous scene’

Investigators are still working to determine a motive of what they’ve called a “horrendous scene.”

Court documents suggest Villi, the suspected gunman who lived at the building where the shooting occurred, was involved in a protracted dispute with the condo board. Documents indicate Villi was expected in court Monday regarding his contravention of an existing court order from 2019 intended to shield the board and building staff from harassment and threats.

Residents tell CityNews that they had expressed their concerns about Villi’s behaviour on multiple occasions, citing his temperamental personality and aggressiveness towards other people in the building.

The board had recently sought to have the court force Villi to sell and vacate his unit as a penalty for being in contempt of the order.

Lyndsey McNally, president of the board for the Toronto chapter of the Canadian Condominium Institute, says if a resident may harm others or damage the property, condo boards generally can’t take extreme measures like obtaining court orders unless they have exhausted other options within their power such as warning letters, arbitration or mediation, or seeking resolution through an independent tribunal.

McNally said it appears the condo board at the Vaughan building had sought expert advice as it attempted to resolve the ongoing issues with Villi.

With files from Melissa Nakhavoly and The Canadian Press