{"id":952598,"date":"2026-10-31T02:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T02:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/952598\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T02:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T02:12:10","slug":"family-traumatized-after-violent-bridle-path-home-invasion-injured-father-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/952598\/","title":{"rendered":"Family traumatized after violent Bridle Path home invasion, injured father says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Police work the scene of a crime at a home on Hyde Park Circle in Toronto on Thursday.Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

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<\/a> in the city\u2019s upscale Bridle Path neighbourhood.<\/p>\n

Toronto police are investigating what they described as a random home invasion by assailants early Thursday morning. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat should have been the safety and security of our own home became a terrifying and life-threatening experience,\u201d Mr. Morton, chief executive of the MAC Group, said in the statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family includes Doriana Zohil-Morton, 64, and the couple\u2019s two adult daughters Cristina and Maggie Zohil-Morton. <\/p>\n

Toronto has seen an increase in home invasions even as shootings and homicides have declined. Canada\u2019s largest city has had 119 home invasions in 2026, up 35 per cent from the same time last year, according to police statistics.<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

From left to right: David Morton, Doriana Zohil-Morton, Cristina and Maggie Zohil-Morton.Supplied<\/p>\n

Police said Friday they are looking for three suspects, who allegedly broke into the home, went up to the second floor and demanded valuables.<\/p>\n

During an altercation, police said, the attackers shot the father and his two daughters, while their mother was injured with a hammer.<\/p>\n

Mr. Morton\u2019s statement pointed to an increase in home invasions in the city. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaken by break-ins, an affluent Toronto neighbourhood takes action<\/a><\/p>\n

The Bridle Path is one of Canada\u2019s most exclusive neighbourhoods, where large houses are hidden behind high walls and wrought-iron gates. The family\u2019s house on Hyde Park Circle is now surrounded by extra police security.<\/p>\n

Years ago, the couple started the MAC Group, which rents out luxury apartments in several countries. <\/p>\n

The company\u2019s website has a blog by family members which speaks about their life before the attack. <\/p>\n

Mr. Morton writes he spent decades in the hospitality industry before striking out on his own. \u201cMy career began with some of the world\u2019s leading hotel brands, including Four Seasons and Westin Hotels, before I went on to build our family of businesses,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

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. \u201cRelationships remain at the heart of everything I do,\u201d she writes. <\/p>\n

Maggie Zohil-Morton graduated from Queen\u2019s and Dalhousie universities. \u201cMaggie\u2019s passion for her hometown of Toronto is evident in her work,\u201d the posting says, adding she is \u201calso a trusted Caribbean expert.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cristina Zohil-Morton graduated from the University of Birmingham in England and became a lawyer. She now \u201coffers professional legal guidance to those seeking to relocate to Canada,\u201d the family blog says.<\/p>\n

On Friday, members of the Toronto Police Service\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n

\u201cResidents can expect an increased police presence in coming days,\u201d Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said in a statement on X<\/a>. He said he is ordering \u201cadditional resources to address this concerning trend of home invasions.\u201d <\/p>\n

With reports from Stephanie Chambers <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Police work the scene of a crime at a home on Hyde Park…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":952599,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194291],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,3302,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-952598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-toronto","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=952598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/952598\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/952599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=952598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=952598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=952598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}