Toronto police have released extended security video showing a suspect dousing five vehicles with what appears to be an accelerant before setting two on fire outside a Scarborough MP’s home Thursday morning. The incident happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. near Bellamy Road North and Lawrence Avenue East, at the Scarborough residence of Liberal MP Salma Zahid. What does the video show? In the footage released Friday, a lone suspect is seen approaching vehicles parked in the driveway of a residence and appearing to douse five of them with liquid from a large gasoline cannister. The suspect then ignites two vehicles, causing them to catch fire. The footage also appears to show the gasoline cannister catching fire, prompting the suspect to drop it on the ground as he runs from the scene. It’s unclear if the suspect himself sustained any injuries. CP24 aired a shorter version of the footage on Thursday. Officials believe the suspect fled in a black Hyundai sedan. He is described as having a light complexion with a slim build and was last seen wearing a black face-covering, a black hooded sweater with the hood up, black gloves, and running shoes with light socks. Fire outside MP’s home Two vehicles were destroyed and a third was damaged by the fire, police said. Zahid previously said her son noticed the blaze and called 911, along with other neighbours. Her family was not injured. “I don’t want to speculate on a possible motive. We will await the results of the investigation,” Zahid said Thursday. She also said the incident would not deter her from serving her constituents. During an interview with CP24, Zahid said she was concerned about the safety of herself, her family and her staff. She also said her constituency office had been closed as a precaution. ‘Cowardly act’: Carney, Chow say Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident a “cowardly act of violence and intimidation” in a social media post. “It is unacceptable. It is not who we are as Canadians,” Carney said, adding that he was relieved Zahid and her family were safe. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also condemned the incident, saying “cowardly acts of violence and intimidation cannot be tolerated.” The National Council of Canadian Muslims said it was “shocked, horrified, and disgusted” by the attack. Police have not publicly identified a motive and have not said whether Zahid was specifically targeted. Anyone with information about the suspect, the vehicle or the incident is asked to contact Toronto police. With files from CTV News’ Joshua McGinnis
