Police are seeking at least three male suspects after another brazen daytime shooting in Hamilton’s downtown core.
Investigators say witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots in the area of Caroline and Market streets shortly after 11 a.m.
Det. Sgt. Steve Berezuik says officers found several shell casings as well as a bullet hole in the window of a first-floor unit of a nearby apartment building.
“That particular unit was unoccupied at the time, however, it is a lived-in unit,” Berezuik revealed.
“We’re fortunate that the homeowner was, in fact, out at the time of the shooting.”
He says nearby cars on Market Street were also impacted by gunfire.
Early indicators point to a shootout between two groups, with suspects fleeing north on foot down Caroline.
Berezuik stopped short of saying the incident is connected with some sort of “turf war” but says it’s not being ruled out.
The shooting is similar to several in a recent spike in shootings that put the city on course for a five-year high.
In mid-May, police Chief Frank Bergen characterized the recent spate of brazen daytime gunfights in Hamilton as “alarming” and “not acceptable.”
“What is alarming about what is occurring in the last couple weeks is its reckless disregard for public safety and for seeing that these are happening at any hours of the day and in many cases during broad daylight,” Bergen said.
At the time, the city had 22 shootings, a marked increase year over year compared with January through May last year, in which only 10 were reported.
The current year-to-date numbers are the worst recorded since 2019.
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