Hamilton mayor calls increase in gun violence ‘very concerning’

Hamilton’s mayor is confident that police will “tamp down” a spike in gun violence.

Fred Eisenberger describes the recent surge, in which gunfire has erupted nine times in the past month throughout the city, as “very concerning.”

Eisenberger adds that it’s “especially upsetting” and a “scary prospect” any time violent crime is happening in residential neighbourhoods, due to the potential for “collateral damage.”

One of the most recent incidents happened on Tuesday morning, when Hamilton Police say five people burst into a home on Holly Avenue.

A 46-year-old man was shot and is stable condition in hospital with what have been described as life-threatening injuries. Two teenaged males, 15 and 18, were arrested at the scene and investigators are still looking for three others.

The mayor’s comments coincide with the release of 2016 statistics by the Hamilton Police Service, which show that youth crime increased by 1.5 per cent across the city.

It’s the first such increase in eight years, and comes in contrast to a 2 per cent drop across the country.