A 38-year-old man was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound and a suspect is on the run following another daytime shooting in Hamilton.
Investigators said police responded to the scene after receiving a 911 call around 7:30 a.m. about a man reporting he had been shot on Juanita Avenue west of Mohawk Road.
Detective Sergeant Steve Berezuik said a 17-year-old boy was arrested shortly after the shooting when a suspect vehicle trying to flee the scene was stopped by police.
“We seized a firearm in this arrest,” Berezuk revealed.
Around 10 a.m., Hamilton police took to social media to tell residents to stay away from the Chedoke Radial Trail between the golf course and the scenic byway as emergency response teams and K9 units searched for a suspect at large.
Berezuk said police were looking for a dangerous gunman wearing a grey hoodie, dark blue pants and a blue surgical mask.
Emails needed on the day
Top news from Canada and around the world.
According to police, the victim is currently receiving treatment in the hospital and is in stable condition.
A section of Juanita Road between Mohawk Avenue and Darlington Avenue will be closed for most of Thursday, according to Berezuk.
“So far, the community has been very positive. They've been very cooperative,” Berezuk said.
“We're going to continue to search the area, that's what we're doing right now, looking for video and witnesses.”
The shooting was There has been a recent surge in shootings Hamilton police say this brings the city's rate of such incidents to a 10-year high.
Just a few days ago, Early morning gun battle breaks out in downtown Hamilton Last week, shots were fired at a car and an apartment building on Market Street.
The suspect, who fled on foot, is still being sought.
In mid-May, Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen described a recent string of brazen daytime shootouts in Hamilton as “shocking” and “unacceptable.”
Hamilton Police Chief Marty Schulenberg acknowledged the reasons for the recent increase in shootings are complex because illegal activity, such as drug crimes, often leads to aggressive behavior.
“This turf war has elements of the gang lifestyle and retaliatory shootings,” Schulenberg explained.
“The prevalence of handguns … all of those factors come together. And then we also have to look at our bail system, who can make bail, who can't make bail, what the bail system looks like.”
In 2024, there were 27 shootings in the city, a significant year-over-year increase compared to just 10 reported from January to May of last year.
There is more to come.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
