Hamilton

Man dead after being stabbed outside Hamilton pub: police

Hamilton police say they don’t know why one man allegedly stabbed another outside an east-end pub on Sunday morning.

Shah Ghafoori, 34, is Hamilton’s 10th homicide victim this year

A woman in a blazer speaks outdoors at a podium with "Hamilton Police dot O N dot C A" on its front.
Det. Sgt. Sara Beck speaking to reporters outside Hamilton police's Central Station in 2023. On Dec. 15, 2024, she announced the city's 10th homicide of the year. (Justin Chandler/CBC)

A Hamilton man died early Sunday morning after being stabbed in what police describe as an unprovoked attack outside an east-end pub.

Shah Ghafoori, 34, died in hospital. He is the city's 10th homicide victim of 2024, police say. 

Hamilton police arrested Pierce Herod, a 28-year-old man from St. Catharines at the scene. He's been charged with second-degree murder in Ghafoori's death.

"We don't know why this happened," Det. Sgt. Sara Beck told reporters outside Hamilton police's central station on Sunday afternoon.

Police were called to Peddles Pub, near Kenilworth Avenue N. and Barton Street E., at around 1:45 a.m. Sunday. 

After interviewing multiple witnesses, police believe that Ghafoori and his alleged attacker were both inside the bar early Sunday morning, Beck said. 

When Ghafoori stepped outside into a vestibule, the man stabbed him once in the upper body, Beck said.

Beck said at this point police do not believe the two men knew each other. 

Beck added police do not believe the alleged homicide was connected to the pub, nor do they have any particular concerns about the business. 

"Nobody could have foreseen it," she said. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justin Chandler is a CBC News reporter in Hamilton. He has a special interest in how public policy affects people, and he loves a quirky human-interest story. Justin covered current affairs in Hamilton and Niagara for TVO, and has worked on a variety of CBC teams and programs, including As It Happens, Day 6 and CBC Music. He co-hosted Radio Free Krypton on Met Radio. You can email story ideas to justin.chandler(at)cbc(dot)ca.