Hamilton police have released photos of a suspect vehicle they believe picked up the alleged shooter of a seven-year-old boy on Gordon Street in January.
Investigators are looking for a light-coloured four-door sedan that was seen speeding away from the area on security camera footage taken around the time of the shooting.
“After discharging the firearm, the suspect fled from the rear yard into a vehicle waiting on Gordon Street and sped east,” police said in a statement on Thursday.
Detectives also revealed that the family of the young boy is co-operating with police but other individuals in the Gordon Street residence have been giving varying degrees of co-operation.
“Police believe there are people who know what happened and encourage those individuals to come forward,” investigators said in a release.
The seven-year-old is still in hospital recovering from injuries, according to police.
The boy was shot in an incident involving individuals at a residence on Gordon Street just east of Cavell Avenue on Jan. 23 just before 8 p.m.
Officers discovered the injured boy, who was hit at least once but sustained two injuries, and transported him to hospital.
“We cannot confirm whether that is one projectile or it was two separate incidents,” Det. Sgt. Jim Callender said on the scene a day after the shooting.
Detectives say multiple gunshots were fired into the home from the backyard.
Callendar said the child was an “innocent victim” and that the nature of what occurred is why police have classified the case as targeted.
“Some individuals that were inside of that house were known to the police service and such as that’s why I’m uncomfortable saying that this particular residence itself was a target. We have been interviewing them.”
Investigators said there were five people in the home at the time — the boy and another child, as well as three adults.
Callendar said a mother and two children reside at the residence.
The child was transported to hospital by paramedics and is in stable condition, according to police.
Hamilton police are continuing to canvass the area for evidence and looking to review video surveillance and speak to witnesses.
Anyone with information can reach out to police at (905) 546-3825 or provide tips anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.