Hamilton shootings are on pace to decline slightly in 2018

Despite a handful of recent incidents, gun crime has not increased so far this year in Hamilton.

Figures were presented to the city’s police services board on Thursday, showing that there were 19 shootings during the first eight months of 2018.

That compares to 41 shootings in Hamilton for all of 2017.

Supt. Ryan Diodati says all of this year’s shootings have been “targeted,” but Ward 8 Coun. Terry Whitehead says that consolation can only extend so far.

Whitehead stresses that any bullet is “capable of missing the target and hitting innocent people.”

Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger adds that the “availability” of handguns remains an issue.

He’s asking police board members to consider a resolution asking the federal government to consider a handgun ban across the country.

Eisenberger stresses that he can see “no reason why anyone in the City of Hamilton needs to be carrying around a handgun.”

Five of this year’s 19 shootings, happened in August.