Hamilton’s 19 homicides in 2021 was a record high
A record 19 people were killed in homicides in Hamilton in 2021.
The new high surpassed 17 homicide investigations in 2020, which itself was a high. Prior to 2020, the last time Hamilton saw 17 homicides was in 1999. The city also saw 17 homicides in 1995.
That's 35 homicides in two years, stressed Det. Sgt. Steve Bereziuk, one of three case managers who oversee homicide investigations for the major crime unit. And those numbers don't include attempted murders, sudden deaths of children under five years old, and other suspicious deaths that homicide detectives initially respond to or help investigate.
Over the past decade, the number of homicides each year in Hamilton has fluctuated, including as few as five cases in 2011.
There are myriad issues that lead to homicides, from domestic violence, to fights over drugs, to retaliatory shootings.
In recent years, police have grown particularly concerned about the growth of gun crimes.
There are more guns on Hamilton streets and more youth with easy access to those weapons," Chief Frank Bergen said during the December 2021 Hamilton Police Services Board meeting.
He noted that there were 193 firearms seized by Hamilton police in 2020 and he believed the service would likely surpass that number in 2021.
In 2021, eight victims were fatally shot, six were killed in stabbings, three were killed by being beaten or by blunt force trauma, one was run over by a car and one cause of death has not been revealed.
Hamilton police have laid charges in 16 of the homicides.
No charges have been laid in the deaths of Yua Blut Kaw, an 18-year-old gunned down on Cannon Street East, and David Anderson, shot behind his Birch Avenue home after a robbery.
Detectives have made good progress in the Kaw investigation, however Bereziuk said there has been very little community co-operation in Anderson's case. He called on anyone with information to come forward to help solve that murder.
Just one of the victims was a woman - Moui Khuu was killed along with her husband, allegedly by their son. Three of the shooting victims were young men still in their teens, including Kaw.
Using one recent homicide investigation as an example - Ali Ghorbani who was gunned down in an Upper Ottawa Street bar in November - police estimated that the first 48 hours of a homicide investigation costs about $109,477.
That was a case where suspects were identified quickly and were under surveillance until their arrest. But other cases are not so clear cut and can stretch on for months and years.
Detectives who work in the major crime unit not only have to be excellent investigators, but they also have to be willing to work long days and nights, often missing out on time with their families, Bereziuk said.
It's a huge sacrifice," he said, adding that it can sometimes be difficult to recruit the right candidates.
Homicide cases face intense litigation in court and always get media attention, he added. But because there is a high bar for homicide detectives, the current major crime unit team has a high solve rate.
During the COVID-19 pandemic jury trials were put on hold, leading to a backlog in court, including for homicide cases. There have been four jury trials for murders in the last four months alone in Hamilton. A fifth case was resolved by a last-minute plea. There is a long list of cases waiting to be heard next year.
To deal with increased workload, Hamilton police allowed detective constables from the criminal investigation branch to assist with homicide investigations this year. This gave homicide detectives extra hands to help with everything from writing search warrants, to interviews, to reviewing video. It also acted as a mentorship program for potential future homicide detectives. Two new detectives are joining the team in January.
Despite the stress of the work, Bereziuk called it a privilege to work on homicide investigations and righteous work."
Hamilton homicides 2021
Jan. 29: Ethan MacCullouch, 35, was found dead inside a room he rented at 94 MacNab St. N. on Feb. 1 by the building's landlord after not hearing from MacCullouch for several days. Police believe MacCullouch was fatally stabbed sometime after 5 a.m. on Jan. 29. Malcom Washington is charged with first-degree murder.
Feb. 10: Tommy Hoang, 30, was confined, robbed and repeatedly stabbed inside an apartment at 646 Main St. E. He died from his injuries Feb. 27. Four people are charged with first-degree murder: Daniel Holland, Robyn Cove, Madeleine Peternel and Jason Long.
Feb. 28: Tyler Pratt, 39, was fatally shot at the back of an industrial property on Arvin Avenue in Stoney Creek during what was supposed to be a business meeting. His girlfriend was also shot but survived. She was pregnant and the shooting led to the loss of the pregnancy. After the shooting, suspects Oliver Karafa and Yun (Lucy) Lu Li fled Canada to Prague, Czech Republic, leading police on an international manhunt. They were later arrested in Budapest, Hungary and face charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder. Li quickly waived extradition and was transported in police custody back to Canada; Karafa remains in Hungary where his extradition hearing has been delayed several times.
March 14: George Howson, 73, was discovered seriously hurt after being assaulted in an apartment at 1968 Main St. W. He later died in hospital. Police charged his stepson, Timothy Brown, with second-degree murder.
April 26: Hung Vo, 67, and Moui Khuu, 61, were fatally stabbed in an attack that began inside their 13th floor apartment at 20 George St., and spilled out into the hallway. Their son Phuoc Hoa Vo, turned the knife on himself but survived. He was charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
April 28: David Anderson, 38, was shot in an alleyway behind his Birch Avenue home after a robbery inside his home. Police believe four male suspects entered Anderson's home looking for drugs and cash, before the shooting. Police have released images of two suspects on the front porch and video of suspects fleeing down an alley after the shooting. No charges have been laid.
June 13: Patrick Chaddock, 59, was found unconscious by neighbours in a hallway at 737 Barton St. E. He suffered blunt force trauma injuries and was pronounced dead in hospital. Colin Marcotte is charged with second-degree murder.
June 25: Jed Anger Jr., 38, was found in a wooded area near the Canadian Pacific Railway rail line just south of Young Street where there where a number of tents. Police have said Anger was in the encampment but was not a resident. Police said an altercation with two people led to his death. Sebastian Winter and Breyanne Moreau are charged with second-degree murder.
July 18: Christopher La Rose, 40, was fatally stabbed at a motel on Queenston Road after an altercation inside one of the rooms. He managed to walk a couple of hundred metres east before collapsing on the sidewalk. Myles Blackburn is charged with first-degree murder.
Aug. 6: Keden Bond, 17, was killed and his brother and uncle hurt in a shooting in the parking lot of 288 Mud St. W. Police have connected that shooting to another on Sept. 14 that killed Sabir Omer. Trayonte Eccleston is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in both shootings.
Aug. 8: Christopher Sim, 31, was fatally stabbed just outside the Mission Services men's shelter on James Street North in what police have described as an ambush. After two months on the run, police arrested Jheidohn Serieaux. The 23-year-old is charged with first-degree murder.
Sept. 14: Sabir Omer, 19, was socializing with a friend in a parking lot outside the Tim Hortons at the corner of King and Caroline Streets when they were approached and shot. Omer died, but his friend was able to flee uninjured. Police have linked this shooting with another fatal shooting Aug. 6 that killed Keden Bond. Trayonte Eccleston is charged with first-degree murder and attempted in both shootings. A 17-year-old boy, Anthony La and Jonas Campanaro are also charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the Sept. 14 shooting.
Sept. 16: Hasnain (Nano) Ali, 21, was killed in a shooting, home invasion and kidnapping in the middle of the night at his family's Glancaster Road residence. Nano's dad, Faqir Ali, 63, was the target and was abducted from the home. He was found seriously hurt six hours later near Jimmy Lomax Park. Nano and his brother Sibtain, who was shot and survived, tried to stop men from taking their dad. Police have said the kidnappers were looking for money. Antoine Chambers is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault and firearm offences. Police are looking for two more suspects.
Sept. 24: Yua Blut Kaw, 18, was killed in a drive-by shooting while walking on Cannon Street East near Barnesdale Avenue South around 4:30 p.m. He was a student at nearby Bernie Custis Secondary School. No one has been charged.
Oct. 27: Jacob Ardagna, 47, was found dead in an apartment at 2130 King St. E. Initially the cause of death was not clear, but it was later deemed a homicide after the autopsy proved he died from injuries. Ardagna's son Ryan Cannon and Cannon's girlfriend, Victoria Rolfe, are charged with second-degree murder.
Nov. 14: Ali Ghorbani, 25, was killed in a shooting inside Raoabe Restaurant, a halal eatery and lounge on Upper Ottawa Street, around 2:30 a.m. Karzan Kakamad and Jagar Hasan are charged with first-degree murder.
Dec. 13: Mario Rodgers, 22, was killed when he was intentionally hit by a car in the parking lot an apartment complex at Barton Street East and Covington Street around 4 a.m. Junaid Mohamed Nizami, 24, is charged with second-degree murder.
Dec. 21: Sheydon Storer, 24, was gunned down outside a home on Darcy Court, northeast of Upper Wentworth Street and Mohawk Road East, around 9:30 p.m. No one has been charged.
Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com