A tragic incident occurred in downtown Hamilton on a Friday afternoon, where a 26-year-old woman lost her life due to a shooting that was described as brazen and chaotic. The police received multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots in the vicinity of King Street East and James Street North shortly before 5:30 p.m. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers were met with distressing circumstances.
The first victim found was a white male suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical services transported him to a hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. However, the situation turned dire when authorities located a second victim, identified as 26-year-old Belinda Sarkodie, who was also suffering from a gunshot wound. Although life-saving efforts were promptly administered, Sarkodie was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Detective Sergeant John Obrovac, who addressed reporters in a press conference on the following Saturday, Belinda Sarkodie had recently immigrated to Canada from Ghana in 2024 and was living and working in the Hamilton area. Obrovac emphasized that she was "an innocent bystander," highlighting the fact that she was simply spending time with a friend at the downtown core during the incident.
Investigation reports reveal that Sarkodie has a brother residing in Manitoba, but she has no other immediate family in the province. Authorities have informed her next-of-kin in Ghana regarding her untimely passing. The police suspect that the initial male victim may have been targeted, although the motive for this attack remains undetermined. Notably, there is no indication suggesting that Sarkodie was known to the shooter or that she was intentionally targeted.
The police are actively searching for a suspect described as a white male with a medium build and brown hair. At the time, he was last seen wearing a black t-shirt that had a white design on the front and a prominent lettered "V" on the back, along with dark socks and shoes. He was also noted to have been wearing a black medical-style face mask during the incident.
In an effort to gather more information regarding the shooting, investigators are in the preliminary stages of reviewing video evidence from the Jackson Square shopping mall, the location where the tragic event took place. The Hamilton Police have expressed their commitment to utilizing all available resources to identify and apprehend the individual responsible for this senseless act of violence. They have pledged to ensure justice is served for Belinda Sarkodie and her loved ones.
