OTTAWA, Ont. — At least one person is confirmed dead and three others are injured following an early morning shooting incident in Ottawa, on Gilmour Street between Bank and Kent streets.
Police and paramedics responded at about 7:30 a.m. to reports of several people shot behind a home at 490 Gilmour St. The residence is an Airbnb, according to neighbours and police.
Once they arrived, one man was without vital signs and three other males who were injured were taken to hospital.
All three wounded were described as being in serious condition at the scene.
One of the wounded victims, a 15-year-old male, was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. His condition was described as stable at the hospital.
Police said they believe the shooting was a “targeted” incident.
“This is not considered an active shooter situation, but the suspect remains at large and is not in custody.”
Kacey Griffiths lives two doors from the address where the shooting occurred, which she and other neighbours said appeared to be an AirBnB or short-term rental.
She didn’t hear the shots but noticed a police officer standing in the middle of Gilmour Street and another officer crouching down with “a very large gun.”
“Everyone had their guns ready and they had surrounded the area just in case someone came out.”
Griffiths ran to her balcony where she could see the side door entrance to the building.
“I saw the police go in. They checked the area. They checked the roof. They checked the surrounding area,” she said. “They came out with their guns down and that’s when I realized the person had probably escaped.”
Three ambulances arrived and Griffiths one victim taken immediately to an ambulance while two others were brought out on stretchers to the back.
“They were both people of colour. They were both strangers. I know all my neighbours and I’ve never seen these people before,” Griffiths said.
“That’s why I think it’s an AirBnB. It’s always just random people coming in and out of there.
Griffiths watched paramedics work on on one of the victims.
“I don’t know if they made it,” she said. “It was really really unfortunate to watch. There was a lot of blood in the front yard too.”
The victims appeared quite young, Griffiths said.
“They were either teenagers or my age, which was so upsetting to see,” she said.
Griffiths said she’s lived on Gilmour Street for a long time and disturbances are common. Last spring there had been another shooting at the address. That time Griffiths heard the shot and gave a report to police.
Griffiths went to work late Wednesday, but when she told her boss what had happened, he sent her home early.
Neighbour Mark Ignatiev says the home where the shooting took place is an Airbnb with three units across two floors. Ignatiev said the shooting took place in the first-floor unit.
He saw two people being taken out of the home on stretchers. One appeared to have a leg wound and the other a wound on his arm, he said. One of the men told police he was 20 years old, Ignatiev said.
He also said he watched police retrieve what looked like a gun from a neighbouring yard.
Later in the morning, police installed a tape barrier around a number of addresses on James Street behind the shooting scene.
Police are responding to a shooting in the 400 block of Gilmour Street. Many injuries reported. A coordinated response is underway. Please avoid the area. Updates to follow. #ottnews https://t.co/rC9O7qGLAB
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) January 8, 2020
ATTENTION Please avoid the area. Situation still active. https://t.co/egKwoxsQ8Q
— Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) (@PPS_SPP) January 8, 2020
Shooting this morning on our street... worried for my neighbours. pic.twitter.com/yh2eSSwMEF
— Kate Headley (@MsCommuniKate) January 8, 2020
Police advised the public to avoid the area.
More to come.
