Toronto-area homeowner finds rabbit shot dead on lawn, police search for shooter

A homeowner in Newmarket, Ont., woke up to find a rabbit shot dead on their front lawn over the weekend, according to York Regional Police.

They say officers were dispatched to a home near Glenway Circle and Eagle Street West on Sunday at around 11 a.m. after the person found the dead rabbit.

Police released video that shows a white Ford F-150 pickup truck slowly driving past the home before it stops and backs up.

A suspect then leans out of the back window of the extended cab and fires a shot from a gun, presumably striking the rabbit, which was later discovered with a bullet-hole.

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Police also posted a video to Instagram in which Const. James Dickson said he was disturbed by the shooting.

“It’s very concerning that anyone would be firing a firearm, in a residential area, or killing a rabbit for no reason,” he said.

Dickson told Global News investigators believe the incident occurred around 6 a.m. that day.

“Anytime something is happening, whether it’s a shooting at a house or in this case, a shooting of an animal, nobody likes the fact there’s guns being fired in residential areas in broad daylight,” he said.

“There’s no reason that a stray bullet or a ricochet could go into a house, and the implication of what could happen when these firearms are being used throughout residential areas is very serious.”

Police are asking people to check surveillance video from the area at the time of the shooting or from any dashcam footage from area roads at that moment.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

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