A movie theatre in Richmond Hill that was the past target of numerous shootings linked to a suspected turf war surrounding South Indian-language movies has now been hit by an arson attack that was captured on security video.
Emergency crews were called to the theatre in the East Beaver Creek and Highway 7 area on Sunday night at around 11:10 p.m. for reports of a fire in the main lobby.
The building’s sprinkler system activated and doused the blaze. Police say there were people on the theatre’s second floor at the time, but no injuries were reported.
Investigators discovered the cause of the blaze after reviewing security video that shows two suspects in a grey SUV park in front of the cinema, exit the vehicle, and walk through the main entrance.
One of them places a blue bag near the cinema’s wall where the movie posters hang, then they both light what appear to be Molotov cocktails before throwing them at the wall towards the bag, causing a burst of flames.
Investigators say the duo fled in the SUV, which had a licence plate DCKP 812.
“The suspect vehicle is registered as a grey Acura RDX and was reported stolen out of Toronto on October 28, 2024,” police said in a release.
Suspect #1 is described as: Medium build, wearing black shoes, black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt with a white shirt underneath, black gloves and a mask.
Suspect #2 is described as: Medium build, wearing white shoes, black pants, a grey hooded sweatshirt, black gloves and a mask.
