On behalf of the Hamilton Police Service, I want to express our condolences to the family of Erixon Kabera and the Rwandan community.
I also want to address recent information circulating regarding this incident. It is important to us, and to our commitment to transparency, that the facts are accurately shared with the public.
This investigation is ongoing, and there are limited facts I can share at this time as the SIU is the agency investigating the circumstances surrounding the events of November 9. Once SIU invokes its mandate, information is released to the public by the SIU.
In the interest of clearing up factual inaccuracies, I would like to clarify the following information:
- A person residing in the building called police because there was a male at their door believed to be in possession of a handgun. Police responded to the address as a result of this call.
- Hamilton Police released a statement on social media on the night of the event. At no time did Hamilton Police release any information related to an exchange of gunfire. All information issued after this initial post has been released by the SIU as part of their ongoing investigation.
- Hamilton Police did not identify the person officers had an interaction with.
I know there are many unanswered questions and I trust the SIU will work to address these in a full, timely, transparent manner.
I have been in touch with Rwandan community leaders and made ourselves available to meet when the community is ready. While I won’t be able to share details about what took place, I want to ensure the community the lines of communication remain open.