Hamilton Police continue to push for suspect's surrender in fatal shooting of innocent bystander
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Hamilton cops continue to urge a teen suspect to surrender in the deadly shooting of an innocent bystander last Friday.
On July 11, Hamilton Police responded to a “brazen daylight shooting” at about 5:25 p.m. near the Jackson Square shopping mall at the corner of King St. E. and James St. N., where a male suspect allegedly encountered three people who appear to have been the intended targets.
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Hamilton Police continue to push for suspect's surrender in fatal shooting of innocent bystander Back to video
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Police said the male opened fire and struck one of the intended individuals, while also striking an innocent bystander — Belinda Sarkodie, 26 — who was “simply going about her day” before being slain.
Despite life-saving efforts from officers, police said Sarkodie was pronounced dead at the scene. The other victim, a male, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said a 17-year-old is wanted for second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
“We are urging you to seek legal counsel and turn yourself in,” Hamilton Police Det.-Sgt. John Obrovac said in a video statement on Thursday. “We’ve executed multiple search warrants, and we will not stop until you are in custody.”
Investigators have executed two search warrants at residences in Hamilton where the suspect was believed to be. Despite these efforts, the accused remains at large.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-546-4925.
Police previously said that Sarkodie immigrated to Canada from Ghana last year and was living and working in Hamilton. Her brother lives in Manitoba and police have notified her family in Ghana.
It was the second time in less than three months that an innocent young woman was fatally struck by a stray bullet while waiting at a Hamilton bus stop.
Harsimrat Randhawa, a 21-year-old woman from India who was studying at Mohawk College, was shot dead April 17 on Hamilton Mountain while waiting for a bus at Upper James St. and South Bend Rd.
— With files from Spiro Papuckoski.
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