Ontario Premier Doug Ford had a word for the homeowner who shot and wounded an alleged home invader in Vaughan, Ont., this week: “Congratulations.”
“Yeah, I’m glad you shot the guy,”
when asked by a reporter at a press conference on Wednesday for his reaction. “Teach … the rest of these robbers, and I encourage everyone out there. That’s a legal gun owner.”
According to police, officers responded just before 1 a.m. Tuesday to reports of a shooting at a home near Rutherford Road and Dufferin Street.
York Regional Police said no charges were being laid against the resident, who used a legally owned, properly stored gun during the incident.
They said several suspects, allegedly armed with at least one firearm, forced their way into the home. The suspects were later seen getting into a black pickup truck and fleeing. Gunfire could be heard on a
released by police.
Investigators said the man who was shot was dropped off at a Toronto-area hospital a short time later. A 24-year-old, now in stable condition, is facing charges of robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent and breaching a probation order.
“Well, you know, these guys, they need to be shot,” Ford said at the press conference. “Congratulations for shooting this guy. Should have shot him a couple more times as far as I’m concerned.”
He added: “And by the way, the federal government, they’re spending so much time on going after legal, law abiding gun owners that safely store their guns, safely store their ammunition, they’re hunters or they’re sport shooters. I have an idea. Rather than wasting hundreds of millions of dollars going after legal gun owners, why don’t you spend that hundreds of millions of dollars going after the bad guys?”
Ford went on to say that criminals were getting “so brazen” because “we have some really weak-kneed judges letting these criminals out on bail. Not once, not twice, four or five times.”
The Premier wrapped up the press conference a few minutes later, noting: “a vast majority of the people are thinking (what he was saying). I can assure you of that. So anyways, folks, God bless you. We’ll always have your backs, and we’re going to keep moving forward.”
I’m in Kenilworth today with an announcement about how we’re investing in critical infrastructure to support new homes and growing communities. Tune in: https://t.co/aYp66QZZRt
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) March 18, 2026
Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles told reporters on Wednesday that Ford’s remarks were “very irresponsible nonsense.”
“This premier has been premier of this province for eight long years now,” she said. “If people in Ontario feel less safe today, then that’s on him as the premier of this province.”
And Green Party leader Mike Schreiner
: “It is irresponsible for the premier to be making comments encouraging violence or celebrating the loss of life.” He added: “He should focus on investing in measures that will make our province safer and empower first responders to do their jobs to serve and protect our communities.”
However, in a
, Steven Del Duca, the mayor of Vaughan, said he was thankful the homeowner wasn’t charged, since it was an act of self-defence.
“We have seen far too many of these incidents involving individuals who were already known to police and out on release orders, highlighting a deeply broken bail system that is failing our communities,” he said.
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