Local authorities are trying to establish whether a woman gunned down in a mass shooting in Canada over the weekend was a Maltese citizen.
A family friend of Rita Camilleri told Times of Malta that the victim's parents had emigrated from Malta to Australia, where she was born. The family then moved to Canada.
The 57-year-old, killed in an apartment complex in Vaughan, Ontario along with five other people, frequently interacted with friends and relatives in Malta, her social media presence shows. She baked Maltese specialities and wrote about how she longed to be in Mellieħa.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday the ministry is in contact with the Consulate General of Toronto and is working to determine Camilleri’s nationality.
Rita was wonderful, a real spitfire, very intelligent- Vaughn councillor Marilyn Iafrate
According to the BBC, a 73-year-old man opened fire in the hallway of the block in which all of the victims lived, also claiming the lives of Vittorio Panza, 79, Russell Manock, 75, Helen Manock, 71 and Naveed Dada, 59.
The alleged shooter, named Francesco Villi, was a resident of the same block and was gunned down by the police.
Reports suggest the shooting may have been motivated by issues that Villi had with the block’s condominium board.
Camilleri, Dada and Manock were all members of the board. A sixth person, Doreen Di Nino, was also shot but is expected to recover. Her husband, John Di Nino, is the condominium board president and was in his apartment at the time of the shooting.
It is understood that Camilleri was in a relationship with Panza.
Camilleri baked imqaret and figolli
From her social media presence, Camilleri seemed to have been an avid baker, frequently posting snaps of homemade treats including Maltese favourites such as imqaret, qagħaq tal-għasel (honey rings) and figolli.
She also tried her hand at other cultural delicacies, sharing a recipe for ‘Qormi style’ Maltese sourdough.
In August, Camilleri posted a picture of Għadira Bay in Mellieħa with the caption: “I long for the day I am here.”
Speaking to York Region News, Vaughan councillor Marilyn Iafrate said she had been friends with Camilleri and Panza, calling them a “lovely couple”.
“Rita was wonderful, a real spitfire, very intelligent,” she said. “She was very thorough, very rational. She was helping residents before she was on the board.”
York Regional police chief Jim MacSween told a news conference that Camilleri was a “smart businesswoman” who had a “contagious laugh” and a “zest for life”.
“She was a loving daughter, sister, partner and the most caring aunt,” he said, adding that she loved to cook, travel and host her family and friends whom “she cared for deeply”.
Panza, Camilleri’s partner, had three daughters and seven grandchildren, one of whom, Victor Mete, plays professional ice hockey for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
According to York Region News, the suspected shooter had long-standing complaints about his apartment and had ongoing legal battles with the condominium board.