r/canadaguns • u/rastamasta45 • Mar 17 '26

News / Politics / Activism 3 suspects sought in Vaughan break-in, homeowner who fired gun at them not being charged

https://www.cp24.com/local/york/2026/03/17/3-suspects-sought-in-vaughan-break-in-homeowner-who-fired-gun-at-them-not-being-charged/
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u/LurkerGarry Mar 17 '26

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you do have the right to use a firearm to self defence in Canada if you feel like your life and the lives of others in the home are in danger. You’re just not allowed to chase and fire at someone retreating your home or property.

But if you do, you still need to prove in a court of law that you used your firearm lawfully correct? I can’t seem to find cases where people used their firearm to defend themselves and have gone to jail for doing so.

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u/meme__machine Mar 17 '26

The gun has to be stored legally, and if it’s in your basement and you were able to run down unlock it etc the state will argue you could have left out the back door, locked yourself in a safe room etc.

Now if the safe happens to be in the bedroom and was the closest thing you had access to and there was no other path to defending yourself ….

3

u/IGnuGnat Mar 18 '26

We have no duty to retreat in Canada AFAIK. I think that juries are specifically instructed not to consider the possibility that a defender could leave their house in Ontario; however, the judge may take that possibility into consideration depending upon circumstance.