Two teenage suspects have been charged and investigators are searching for three others after police say a 46-year-old man was shot and at least two others injured during an armed home invasion in northeast Hamilton.
Hamilton police responded to reports of an active break-and-enter just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at a house on Holley Avenue, off Beach Road between Ottawa Street and Kenilworth Avenue.
Const. Steve Welton said that as officers were responding to the home invasion, they received information that firearms were involved and multiple shots had been fired in the home.
“There has been one victim with a confirmed gunshot related injury that’s been transported to hospital and he’s currently receiving care,” Welton told reporters at the scene, later adding the man was in life-threatening condition.
“There were other people inside the home that were either assaulted by the suspects or not injured.”
Welton said there were up to five people inside the home at the time of the armed break-and-enter, in addition to multiple suspects. He added that one victim was shot and at least another two were injured.
WATCH: Man shot, several injured in Hamilton home invasion. Lama Nicolas reports.
Three male suspects are being sought by police but no further description was provided by investigators.
Neighbour Marjo Daniels told Global News she spoke with one of the victims, who said she was sleeping on the couch when the suspects broke in the back door.
“She got beat up, her youngest son came down the stairs, they butted him with a gun, the husband heard the ruckus, he came down — they shot him,” she said, adding the man was also attacked with a knife.
“They took one suspect out in an ambulance, the other one they took out in a car and the other three took off.”
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Daniels said the teenager allegedly assaulted in the break-and-enter appeared to be in good condition but was taken to hospital.
“It’s just a little scary, because this street is always, always quiet,” she said.
On Wednesday, police said 18-year-old Skylon Johnson of no fixed address and a 15-year-old boy from Hamilton were arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated assault, break and enter, disguise with intent, three counts each of assault and firearm related offences. They are being held in custody for upcoming court appearances at an undisclosed date.
“We have information that multiple suspects also fled from the area on foot after the incident took place and those suspects are still outstanding and we’re awaiting details on their descriptions,” Welton said.
“There was a motor vehicle that was used in this incident and that motor vehicle was abandoned here at the scene and it’ll be processed by our Hamilton police forensics unit for any further information.”
The extent of the other victims’ injuries or their ages are not yet known, but Welton said police are monitoring the gunshot victim’s condition and more information will be provided as it becomes available.
“It’s early in the investigation but it is possibly five suspects — it could be less, it could be more,” Welton said.
“Right now we do confirm that there’s two in custody and there’s at least two or three that are outstanding that fled from the area.”
Welton said the home invasion was targeted and not “random in nature,” but could not confirm if the suspects in custody were known to police.
With files from Lama Nicolas and Jeremy Cohn
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