Two men hospitalized after shooting outside Hamilton Mountain pool hall

A second shooting in less than a month on Upper James Street in Hamilton has sent two men to hospital.

While it was a stray bullet in April that claimed the life of 21-year-old college student Harsimrat Randhawa, police believe Sunday morning’s gun violence followed a physical altercation outside a pool hall.

A bullet hole and blood can be found on the door to The End Pocket billiards hall on Upper James Street, following what police are calling a targeted shooting.

“The Hamilton Police Service takes every shooting seriously,” said Det. Matthew Dugdale. “It’s unacceptable the level of violence, but we believe this is an isolated targeted incident and no threat to the public.”

Officers say at around 1:50 a.m. a shooting took place in the area of Upper James Street and Jameston Avenue, outside of the billiards hall.

Police found a 27-year-old man and a 28-year-old man, both from Hamilton, in the area suffering from gunshot wounds. The two men were taken to hospital and treated for serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

Investigators say a black SUV was seen driving away from the scene.

Detectives are asking residences and businesses in the area of Upper James Street, between Hestler Street and the Lincoln alexander Parkway, for video between 1:45 a.m. and 2 a.m.

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However, with it being Mother’s Day, tracking down footage has been a challenge.

“Being a Sunday, a lot of businesses are closed,” said Dugdale. “The video canvass will take a few days and then we’ll be able to release more information, like the descriptions of suspects.”

The shooting comes less than a month after 21-year-old Randhawa was hit and killed by a stray bullet on Upper James Street.

Detectives don’t think the two acts of violence are related.

“At this time, we have no info to suggest they’re connected,” said Dugdale. “The shooting at this business is confined to the people at this business – no connection.”

People in the area are still concerned.

“As close as it is to the last shooting on the mountain, it makes us nervous to think about safety issues,” said Jerrod Trickey, a local pastor at the New Testament Baptist Church.

Anyone with information on the black SUV or any other shooting is asked to contact the Shooting Response Team at 905-546-4883 or to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or if they want to reach out anonymously at Crime Stoppers on their website here.

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