Hamilton police identify 19-year-old man killed in daytime downtown shooting

Police have identified the 19-year-old Hamilton man killed in Wednesday'sdaytime downtownshooting.

Det. Sgt. Daryl Reid from the Hamilton Police Service(HPS)homicide unit told reporters on Thursday the victim,Alexander Circiumaru, was walking down the sidewalk on King Street Westaround 1 p.m.

He was downtown for an appointment, Reid said.

Reid said as Circiumaru was walking, the person who shot him was sittinginside adark newer Honda Civic, with a spoiler on its trunk, parked nearby.

"It's clear the person was waiting and targeted this individual," he said.

Thekiller then sprung out of the car and shotCirciumaru multiple times before getting back in the sedan and heading west, police said.

The suspect is described as a male dressed in black clothing with a face mask. It's unclear if anyone else was in the car with him.

Paramedics tried to revive Circiumaru and rushed him to the hospitalbut he didn't survive the multiple gun shot wounds.

Family is heartbroken, police say

Reid saidCirciumaru's family was heartbroken.

"They have to grapple with not only the death of a child, but in this manner."

The 19-year-old was shot in front of the Ellen Fairclough Building, a ServiceOntario location.

The shooting occurredsteps away fromtheFrank A. Cooke bus terminal and across fromJackson Square, right in the city's core.

Reidalsosaid there was no one within "a few feet" ofCirciumaru in the moments he was shot, butnoted there could be a hundred people moving through that area of the city during that time of day.

"There were numerous people that could've easily been caught in the crossfire," he said.

Reid said he is "confident" the shooting was targeted, but couldn't say if Circiumaruand the shooter knew each other.

Hamilton's mayor, Andrea Horwath, posted on X on Wednesday, saying she was "shocked" and "dismayed" to hear about the shooting, which is the city's second homicide of the year.

"My thoughts are with all those who have been impacted," she wrote.

'Hug your loved ones, life is short'

Thursday afternoon, a makeshift memorial wasin place whereCirciumaru was shot, complete with flowers,a candle, a cross, messages written in chalk on the sidewalk and taped to a utility poleand a picture of the young man.

Some people gathered to mourn his death, releasing blue heart-shaped balloons.

Tears fell as theytouched his picture and read the farewell messages.

"Hug your loved ones, life is short," read one message.

"Rest in Paradise, Bean," read another.

HPS keepingteam responding to shootings with survivors

On Thursday, not a day after the latest shooting,HPSannouncedit is making its Shooting Response Teampermanent after it underwent a year-long pilot.

The team's focus is on shootings where the victims survive.

"Shootings often present challenges due to a victim's reluctance to report, driven by fear of retaliation or criminal involvement," police said in a media release.

"The unit is strategically placed within the Major Drugs and Gangs division, fostering an environment where intelligence from gang, drug, and homicide investigations can be shared efficiently."

Shootings have become more common since 2012 peaking in 2020 with 51 shootings but the number of shootings has fallen in recent years.

In 2023, there were 35 shootings in the city.

The police service saidthe response team investigated 21 of last year'sshootings, leading to 10 arrests and 98 charges. It's unclear how many of those charged were convicted.