Police say a 19-year-old Hamilton man died in a broad daylight shooting at a city centre parking lot on Tuesday.
Detectives say the incident happened just before 3 p.m. near the Tim Horton’s on King Street West at Caroline North.
“We have a male who is a victim of gun shot wounds and has died as a result of his injuries,” Det. Sgt. Steve Berezuik said during a presser on King Street.
A second victim was also involved but was not hit by gunfire and able to flee the area.
The detective said it was “fair” to characterize the episode as “targeted.”
“This is a broad daylight shooting, a lot of people are out during the day,” said Berezuik.
“This type of activity in the middle of the day in a city like this is unacceptable.”
In an update on Wednesday, Det. Sgt. Jim Callender said the victims were approached by a suspect with a short verbal exchange occurring before shots were fired.
The suspect – described as about five feet seven inches with a medium build wearing dark clothes – fled on foot southbound down Caroline Street toward Main Street and is still at large.
Callender identified the victim as Sabir Hassen Omer from Hamilton and said he was “known to police.”
The shooting death is the city’s 13th homicide of 2021.
Investigators are asking witnesses or anyone with surveillance video between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. to reach out to Hamilton police.