A 36-year-old woman is dead following a shooting at a tent encampment in Peterborough early Friday — the city’s first homicide of 2023.
Peterborough police said the shooting was reported around 2:30 a.m. after multiple gunshots were heard in the area of Wolfe and Aylmer streets. The encampment is in a parking lot next to the city’s emergency overflow shelter for those experiencing homelessness and near a residential neighbourhood.
In a media conference on Friday afternoon, police chief Stuart Betts said officers found a Peterborough woman who was suffering from “multiple” gunshots.
She was taken to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre where she was later pronounced dead.
“We do not believe she is a resident in this particular location,” said Betts, referring to the encampment. “However, she is a resident in our city who has lost her life.”
Police have launched a homicide investigation and say the public can expect a large police presence in the area on Friday.
“We are in the beginning stages of the investigation,” said Betts. “This will take — and will be — an all-hands-on-deck investigation because one homicide, one shooting, one death in our city is too many.”
As of the 1 p.m. media conference, Betts said a suspect had yet to be identified or a motive for the shooting determined.
“It is very fortunate no one else was injured at this particular time,” said Betts. “I made it clear from the beginning — firearms in our community used in this way are a danger. We’ve had somebody prepared to discharged their firearm multiple times, ultimately taking the life of a young woman. And that puts everybody at risk — not just in this location but everywhere from here on.”
The police chief any violence in the community is a concern but the shooting has “taken it to a new level.”
“We will respond voraciously in our pursuit for justice, especially in the case of this particular circumstance where we have a young woman who has lost their life,” he said. “We will speak for her and we will pursue justice.”
Betts said he also spoke to individuals at the encampment to assure them “their lives matter as much as anyone’s”
“Here we have some people in this particular community who find themselves homeless — for whatever means or purpose they arrived at — and it’s tragic. It’s tragic when someone loses their life. It’s tragic when someone has to live in this year. I think our community is compassionate and cares. What I hear from this community is an actual, genuine desire to see these folks better off.”
In a statement, Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal says any violent crime is a “concern and a tragedy.”
“It happens in all areas of our community,” he said. “People who are homeless, living in tents, are among the most vulnerable in our community and in our society. While police investigate the incident on Wolfe Street, the City will be offering support services for people in that area who are already faced with so many challenges in their lives.
“Tenting is unsafe and unhealthy. We encourage people who are experiencing homelessness to speak with outreach workers about available housing and shelter services — at the same time, we acknowledge some people are unable or unwilling to access those services and we’re taking action to provide new services.”
“Recently, Peterborough city council approved a multi-component initiative to address individuals experiencing homelessness, to help get people on a better trajectory in their lives and to improve the conditions for the broader neighbourhood.”
Several encampment members who spoke to Global News Peterborough said they rushed to the scene after hearing shots rang out. Some hid worried about a threat.
They say the victim was an encampment member known as “Sarah” and her tent was one a cluster next to Jackson Creek.
Some of the members say they’re shaken but also worried about the optics of Wolfe Street, especially with plans by the city to add modular housing.
Police say anyone with information or have video from the area can call Det. Const. Lacey White at 705-876-1122 ext. 266, the Peterborough police crime line at 705-876-1122 ext. 555, or leave a tip with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at stopcrimehere.ca
— With files from Sam Houpt/Global News Peterborough
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