17-year-old suspect in Belinda Sarkodie shooting case turned himself in, say Hamilton police

Hamilton police have announced that a 17-year-old suspect connected to a deadly daytime shooting in July has turned himself in.

The youth is facing two charges of attempted murder, and one of second-degree murder.

Detectives can’t speak about a motive for the shooting but did say the suspect was riding a scooter at the time of the shooting.

The July 11 shooting left one person injured and claimed the life of 26-year-old Belinda Sarkodie.

Sarkodie immigrated to Canada from Ghana in 2024, and was living and working in Hamilton. At the time of the shooting, she was waiting at a bus stop outside Jackson Square after spending time with a friend in the downtown core.

Investigators say the incident began around 5:25 p.m., when a male suspect opened fire at a group of three people in the area of King Street East and James Street North. Police believe this group of people were the intended targets.

One person from the group was struck by the gunshots and injured. As the suspect continued to shoot at a second person, Sarkodie was shot and killed.

Days later, police determined the suspect was a 17-year-old male. Extensive search efforts were carried out in the following days, but the youth could not be located.

Police say he turned himself in at Central Station on Tuesday.

Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen says his work is far from over, and all Hamiltonians have a responsibility to tackle youth violence in the city.

“A young punk thinks it’s okay and thinks they’re entitled enough to show up on a scooter and take the life of a 26-year-old young girl, Belinda, from Ghana,” Bergen said during a press conference Wednesday.

“We […] have to recognize and acknowledge that the trajectory of youth violence in this community is unacceptable. If the 12-year-olds and the 14-year-olds, and in this case a 17-year-old feels it okay to bring out a gun in the afternoon amongst hundreds of people to settle a dispute or try to be tougher than the next person, we got a problem.

“As a city, as a community, as a service, this is a time when we have to stand up. […] Today, we have to make sure that we can do things differently tomorrow.”

Bergen said that communities have to band together in the face of “brazen disregard” for human rights by kids as young as 12.

“This is a time when we have to stand up, moms and dads and all of you who have partnerships in our community, call it out,” Chief Bergen said. “You know what’s going on, you understand what these kids are doing. Call it out. This is unacceptable.”

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