Hamilton police have charged a 21-year-old man with manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of a teen girl in Central Hamilton on Wednesday morning.
Detectives say the suspect was arrested by police around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday morning and made his first appearance at Sopinka courthouse hours later.
Police say they have evidence that supports an “element of carelessness and recklessness by the accused” and say the victim was not targeted.
Investigators say 17-year-old Myah Larmond was shot sometime around 4 a.m. at a residence in the area of St. Matthews Avenue near Barton Street.
Police encountered the teen around 4:30 a.m. with a gunshot wound. Larmond was transported to Hamilton General Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
At the time, detectives said they were looking for two men of interest who were seen by witnesses fleeing the residence down a nearby alleyway.
“It’s a very vague description,” said Det. Sgt. Steve Bereziuk on Wednesday, adding that the two men were in their early 20s. “There is no clothing description. One male is described as shorter brown hair or possibly a buzzcut. The other male has a little longer brown hair.”
Investigators believe there were five people in the home at the time of the shooting and say there’s no apparent motive at present.
Bereziuk said the teen was a student who attended a Catholic school in Hamilton and lived in the city with her mother.
“I can tell you that the family is extremely distraught. They’re hysterical, you can imagine, getting this information,” Bereziuk added.
Berezuiuk said Larmond knew one of the occupants of the residence.
Detectives have obtained search warrants for the residence and are expected to continue to be on the St. Matthews Avenue property for the remainder of Thursday collecting evidence.
Investigators say they have not recovered the firearm involved.
Anyone with information can reach out to Hamilton police at 905-546-2288 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or leave an anonymous tip online.
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