Hamilton police identify 19-year-old man killed in daytime downtown shooting | CBC News

Police have identified the 19-year-old Hamilton man killed in Wednesday’s daytime downtown shooting.

Det. Sgt. Daryl Reid from the Hamilton Police Service (HPS) homicide unit told reporters on Thursday the victim, Alexander Circiumaru, was walking down the sidewalk on King Street West around 1 p.m.

He was downtown for an appointment, Reid said.

Reid said as Circiumaru was walking, the person who shot him was sitting inside a dark newer Honda Civic, with a spoiler on its trunk, parked nearby.

“It’s clear the person was waiting and targeted this individual,” he said.

The killer then sprung out of the car and shot Circiumaru multiple times before getting back in the sedan and heading west, police said.

The suspect is described as a male dressed in black clothing with a face mask. It’s unclear if anyone else was in the car with him.

Paramedics tried to revive Circiumaru and rushed him to the hospital but he didn’t survive the multiple gun shot wounds.

Family is heartbroken, police say

Reid said Circiumaru’s family was heartbroken.

“They have to grapple with not only the death of a child, but in this manner.”

The 19-year-old was shot in front of the Ellen Fairclough Building, a ServiceOntario location.

The shooting occurred steps away from the Frank A. Cooke bus terminal and across from Jackson Square, right in the city’s core.

Reid also said there was no one within “a few feet” of Circiumaru in the moments he was shot, but noted there could be a hundred people moving through that area of the city during that time of day.

“There were numerous people that could’ve easily been caught in the crossfire,” he said.

Reid said he is “confident” the shooting was targeted, but couldn’t say if Circiumaru and the shooter knew each other.

Hamilton’s mayor, Andrea Horwath, posted on X on Wednesday, saying she was “shocked” and “dismayed” to hear about the shooting, which is the city’s second homicide of the year.

“My thoughts are with all those who have been impacted,” she wrote.

‘Hug your loved ones, life is short’

Thursday afternoon, a makeshift memorial was in place where Circiumaru was shot, complete with flowers, a candle, a cross, messages written in chalk on the sidewalk and taped to a utility pole and a picture of the young man.

Some people gathered to mourn his death, releasing blue heart-shaped balloons.

Tears fell as they touched his picture and read the farewell messages.

“Hug your loved ones, life is short,” read one message.

“Rest in Paradise, Bean,” read another.

HPS keeping team responding to shootings with survivors

On Thursday, not a day after the latest shooting, HPS announced it is making its Shooting Response Team permanent after it underwent a year-long pilot.

The team’s focus is on shootings where the victims survive.

“Shootings often present challenges due to a victim’s reluctance to report, driven by fear of retaliation or criminal involvement,” police said in a media release.

“The unit is strategically placed within the Major Drugs and Gangs division, fostering an environment where intelligence from gang, drug, and homicide investigations can be shared efficiently.”

Shootings have become more common since 2012 — peaking in 2020 with 51 shootings — but the number of shootings has fallen in recent years.

In 2023, there were 35 shootings in the city.

The police service said the response team investigated 21 of last year’s shootings, leading to 10 arrests and 98 charges. It’s unclear how many of those charged were convicted.