Victim of Friday’s targeted drive-by shooting was a student at Bernie Custis

The teen killed in a brazen central Hamilton shooting Friday afternoon was a student at Bernie Custis Secondary School - just a few blocks from where he was found with multiple gun shot wounds.

Yua Blut Kaw was walking east on Cannon Street near Barnesdale Avenue around 4:30 p.m. when someone fired multiple shots" at him from a dark-coloured sedan in what police believe was a targeted drive-by.

Kaw later died in hospital.

The shooting occurred about an hour-and-a-half after final bell at Bernie Custis. But it's unclear whether Kaw was in attendance Friday.

A flag at the school flew at half-mast Monday as students and staff mourned the death of their peer.

We all share in the grief and sadness of having lost a student in our Hamilton community," Bernie Custis principal Sonya Sykes wrote in a letter to parents. Our condolences are extended to the student's family and friends."

A letter was also sent to families of students at the nearby Prince of Wales Elementary School, where two outdoor after-school programs were underway when the incident occurred.

More than a dozen children - some of whom are in kindergarten - were shuffled into the school after program staff heard what they thought were gun shots.

Our staff, obviously, are pretty shaken up that this is happening close to home, but they're well-trained in what to do for a situation like this," said Duane Dahl, assistant executive director of BGC Hamilton-Halton, adding no one at the programs saw the shooting.

Hamilton police said over the weekend the grieving Kaw family is distraught and seeking answers.

They loved him dearly and they're quite distraught," said Det. Sgt. Jim Callender, noting police are still searching for a motive for the killing. They are seeking answers just as much as police are ... they don't understand what happened and it scared them."

Investigators spent the weekend canvassing the neighbourhood for witnesses and security footage.

It's unclear if any suspects have been identified.

The homicide is Hamilton's 15th of the year - and second daytime fatal shooting of a young man in a public place this month.

Police are appealing to witnesses or other community members to come forward.

Anyone who has security video or dashcam footage in the neighbourhood between the hours of 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sept 24 is asked to contact Det. David Tsuchida at 905-546-4123.

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com