Assault rifle among firearms used in weekend Hamilton shooting that injured 3 men

Hamilton police say an assault rifle was one of the weapons used to fire between 80 and 100 rounds during a shooting in downtown Hamilton overnight Saturday.

Shortly before 1 a.m., two groups of people began shooting at each other with multiple firearms in the area of Jackson Street East and Bowen Street.

Hamilton police Const. Trevor McKenna tells CHCH News that there were dozens of people in the area at the time of the shooting.

He says three young men in their late teens and early 20s had just left the Zen Lounge in the John and Jackson Building located at 69 John St. South when they were hit.

The men were transported to hospital with serious injuries. McKenna says two of the men are now in stable condition, while the third man sustained life-altering injuries.

Bullets were found in several windows of 69 John St. South, within the brick and dumpsters, and even struck a residence at the Royal Connaught condo tower on King Street East.

WATCH MORE: Police say over 80 shots fired, three injured in downtown Hamilton shooting

‘This level of violence is completely unacceptable’

Police say the cause of the shooting is currently unknown and they have no knowledge of an argument leading up to it.

“This incident had the potential to result in mass casualties given the number of people in the area, the volume of gunfire, and the type of firearm involved,” McKenna said.

“This level of violence is completely unacceptable. We will not tolerate such behavior, and we are committed to identifying the suspect(s) and ensuring they are held fully accountable for their actions.”

Officers say there are at least two vehicles involved in the investigation, and believe the suspect vehicle is a dark-coloured SUV.

Investigators say they are reviewing video of the shooting, and that they’ve had “some cooperation from witnesses.”

Detectives say it is unknown if the victims were the intended targets of the shooting and they are not cooperating with the police.

Officers say they are aware of a nearby event that was happening at the time of the shooting, and believe many people may have information that could help their investigation.

Saturday’s incident marks the city’s 29th shooting so far this year.

Residents and business owners in the area are asked to check surveillance cameras as well.

Anyone with information is encouraged to come forward and contact police at 905-546-4883 or shootingresponseteam@hamiltonpolice.ca.

Those who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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