5 Windsor homes shot at in the past week, as police see spike in shootings
Five homes across the city have been shot at in the past week, incidents that are part of worrying increase in gunfire in recent weeks, say Windsor Police.
Between Oct. 19 and Oct. 25, police responded to reported shootings at five residences across the city. No injuries are associated with the shootings, police told CBC News Monday, adding it's "extremely lucky" that this is the case.
Police say they don't know if the five shootings are related, but are looking into whether they are.
"Any time you have a single incident of illegal gunfire, that is an extremely serious and concerning issue for our community and that's an extremely serious investigation for our officers," Windsor police's public information officer Steve Betteridge said.
The victimized homes are in the following areas and took place at the following times:
1700 block of McKay Avenue, Oct. 19 at around 9 p.m.
1500 block of Pelissier Street, Oct. 23 at around 2:30 AM
2900 block of Walker Road, Oct. 24, at around 2:15 a.m.
1600 block of Factoria Road, Oct. 25 police responded to damage at a home at 7:45 a.m., but shots were heard at 12:30 a.m.
1400 block of Wyandotte Street East, Oct. 25 at around 1:45 am
In another news release Monday police said they arrested a 27-year-old man on Sunday in Chatham-Kent and charged him with three counts of possessing a firearm while prohibited, possession of a firearm without a licence and being unlawfully at large.
As part of an investigation by the major crime branch involving an illegally possessed firearm, police had applied for and received judicial authorization to search a residence in Windsor.
Following the search warrant, investigators located and seized a handgun.
Betteridge could not say whether the man's arrest was in relation to the shootings, but the incident is still being investigated. No other firearm-related arrests have been made at this time.
As of Monday, Betteridge said each incident is under active investigation and police are looking into whether the shootings could be connected.
"We don't rule anything out," he said. "we have to look at every case on a very open, full-frank level, meaning we have to look and see if there's any connection ... our job is to look at the evidence on each and every case and find out as best we can exactly what happened."
Spike in shots fired in recent weeks
The rise in shootings is something Windsor police hadn't seen this year, Betteridge said.
"Of course this is an extremely serious series of crimes that have occurred in a short period of time," he said. "It's been more recently in the last few weeks that we've had this spike."
The cases come on the heels of three other firearm-related incidents that occurred earlier this month.
On Oct. 4 at around 4:15 p.m., police responded to shots being fired in the 2400 block of McDougall Street.
A few days later on Oct. 9 in the 2600 block of Lauzon Road around 3:30 a.m., police found a man with a gunshot wound, prompting an investigation by the major crime branch.
Following that, on Oct. 11, police responded to a robbery that involved a firearm at a convenience store in the 4600 block of Seminole Street.
While the incidents are of concern, Betteridge credited the community's help and said residents should always notify police of any suspicious activity or sounds.
"They key is to call it in and have our officers respond, get their officers and resources into those areas quickly," he said. "The community are the eyes and ears for the police and together we work hand in hand to bring those parties responsible to justice."
