Hamilton

More shots fired in North End, 'No suspects, no victims, no scene'

Hamilton Police responded to reports of gunshots in the North End again on Friday, only to come up empty-handed.

Shooting is the latest in series of violent incidents in lower city area

This blue home was the scene of a shooting 10 days before a second round of reported shots sent police cruisers screaming into the neighbourhood. This photo is from less than two weeks ago, when three people were found shot on the street. A woman at the door declined comment Saturday. (Jeff Green/CBC)

Hamilton Police responded to reports of gunshots in the North End again Friday, but failed to find any scene or identify any suspects.

Staff Sgt. Paul Staats said all police have are "reports" of shots in the neighbourhood from roughly 5 p.m. Friday.

"There's no suspects, no victims, no scene," Staats said.

He added the heavy response by police was because they take reports of shooting "seriously," but had no details on how many officers responded to the area of MacNab Street North near Picton Street West — the same area of a triple-shooting nearly two weeks earlier.

Police have yet to identify any suspects in that shooting, previously telling CBC News that the victims have been uncooperative.

A woman who answered the door at the MacNab home, the scene of the previous triple-shooting less than two weeks earlier, declined comment Saturday.

Neighbour Laura Smullet said that she doesn't live in fear despite the recent rash of shootings.

"If there was something going on, then now it has been found out," Smullet said. 

This latest shooting is the latest in a series of violent incidents in the lower city this year. 

A brazen daytime shooting in central Hamilton in May was so alarming that it inspired Mayor Fred Eisenberger to ask for a gun ban. There is a dash-camera video of the alleged shooters — but police still have no suspects. Hours later, someone was shot at King and Ashley streets.

Smullet said the recent downtown gun violence is not normal for the North End.

"It's a sweet family neighbourhood. Everyone here helps each other. We're proud to live here and we haven't had any problems," Smullet said. "I've been here for 13 years, my neighbour, she's been here for 22 years, and she's never seen anything like that."