‘Atrocious:’ Woman and dog dead after shooting at Markham home that has been repeated target of gunfire

Police tape is shown outside a Markham home that was the site of a double shooting on Friday morning.

A woman is dead and a man is in hospital with serious injuries after a double shooting inside a Markham home that has been repeatedly targeted by gunfire over the last number of years, police say.

It happened at around 6:30 a.m. at a house on Solace Road, which is a residential street in the vicinity of Castlemore Avenue and Swan Park Road.

Police say that officers found two people with gunshot wounds inside the home, as well as a deceased German Sheppard that was also struck by gunfire.

Both victims were rushed to hospital but one of them was pronounced dead a short time later.

The deceased victim has been identified as 20-year-old Markham resident Nilakshi Raguthas.

Police say that the home is the same residence that has been shot at on five separate occasions dating back to 2018 and was the subject of a townhall meeting attended by concerned neighbours in April, 2024.

Friday’s shooting comes approximately one year after police responded to three reports of the home being shot at in broad daylight over the span of less than a month in February and March, 2024.

Police later released surveillance footage of some of those incidents.

However, no arrests were made.

“This house has been targeted multiple times in the past and today these suspects specifically came to this residence to commit these atrocious acts so we can say it is targeted,” Const. Kevin Nebrija told reporters at the scene. “What makes this incident more concerning is that the shooting occurred in the home whereas in previous incident shots were fired at the house from a distance.”

Nebrija said that following the shooting two suspects were seen fleeing the home and getting into a newer model, four-door black Acura TLX.

He said that police are still working on descriptions for the suspects and are asking residents in the neighbourhood to review any surveillance footage they have between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m.

“It is very active scene. We do have a lot of resources in place, including (forensic) officers who will be processing the scene, officers canvassing the neighbourhood and investigators who do have a lot of work ahead of them,” he said. “All motives are being looked at.”

Police have said that both victims were adults but they are not releasing their identifies pending notification of next-of-kin.