Police in Canada are hunting a suspected hitman who they say disguised himself as a delivery person to carry out a “premeditated, targeted and isolated attack” on a woman, gravely injuring her with a crossbow.

Details of a brazen murder attempt were released to the public Monday morning by police in Mississauga, Ontario. The attack on the 44-year-old woman occurred late on 7 November 2018 in an area north of Toronto.

In black-and-white home surveillance footage, a man is seen carrying a large cardboard box on the victim’s front porch. Dressed in a baseball cap, hooded sweatshirt and dark gloves, the man awkwardly holds the large rectangular box, which police say concealed the crossbow.

After a brief conversation, he fires the weapon and flees in a dark pickup truck. The front door is seen closing as the suspect runs away.

Despite her substantial injuries, the woman was able to phone emergency responders. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she has remained for months.

“The injuries that she sustained were absolutely devastating,” Det Sgt Jim Kettles of Peel police told reporters. “It involved damage to a lot of her internal organs. She’ll be in recovery phase for the rest of her life … Her life will never be the same.”

The woman got a “direct look” at the man who attacked her, but was unable to identify him.

“This was most definitely a targeted type of attack,” Kettles said, adding that “the crossbow was never removed from the box” during the encounter.

At the press conference, police displayed a similar crossbow and arrows to the ones used in the attack, which are designed for hunting big game like moose. The choice of weapon was meant to “inflict the maximum amount of damage possible”, said police, who were able to recover one of the arrows at the scene of the crime.

“Comments made to the victim [by the suspect] indicate the victim was targeted and that the suspect may have carried out the attack at the request of another individual,” said Supt Heather Raymor. “It is clear that this attack was meant to end the victim’s life.”

Police have not released a motive for the attack. Kettles said the shoes and baseball hat worn by the suspect were unique – and the suspect did not conceal his face, giving investigators a number of potential clues. “We are open to anything at this point and we are looking at all possible investigative avenues,” he said.

