'Stop these criminals': Note from man who killed two people at Toronto office building
In a tragic incident earlier this week, a gunman killed two individuals in a Toronto office building, blaming them for the loss of his family's life savings, according to his spouse.
Arash Missaghi and Samira Yousefi were identified as the victims in the shooting that occurred on Monday at an office building in North York.
Toronto police reported that the shooter, a 46-year-old man named Alan Katz according to his wife, also died at the scene. The shooting occurred around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, according to Detective Sergeant Al Bartlett. Bartlett told reporters at the scene that the altercation leading up to the shooting was connected to a business dispute.
‘Stop these criminals’
In a statement to Global News, Alisa Pogorelovsky revealed that Katz could not cope with the financial loss they suffered due to an alleged mortgage fraud involving Missaghi and Yousefi.
“The events that gave rise to the litigation that we are involved in with Missaghi and Yousefi have devastated and now destroyed our family. Alan could not handle losing our life’s savings and that is what led to this tragic event,” Pogorelovsky said in the statement.
A note left by Katz, shared by Pogorelovsky, placed the responsibility for his death on Missaghi, Yousefi, and two other individuals. The note read, “Stop these criminals from destroying people’s lifes”.
Court documents indicate that Missaghi and Yousefi were involved in a lawsuit filed by Pogorelovsky, Global News reported.
Syndicated mortgage fraud
The suit accused them of orchestrating a “syndicated mortgage fraud” that resulted in her family losing $1.28 million. The lawsuit alleges that an aggressive mortgage broker convinced Pogorelovsky’s family to invest in private mortgages, which eventually led to significant financial loss.
The lawsuit also claims the family lost their home due to involvement with the pair.
Missaghi had a history of legal issues and was charged by Toronto police in 2018 as part of an alleged mortgage fraud investigation named “Project Bridle Path” that dated to before 2013.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477, or them directly at 416-808-7400.
