OTTOWA, CANADA – Late Saturday night, a shooting incident in Ottawa’s south-end convention hall parking lot left two men dead and six others injured. The venue was hosting two separate wedding receptions when the gunfire broke out, causing panic among the guests. A witness, who arrived at the scene to pick up a friend, described the situation as chaotic, with people running in all directions.
The witness, who chose to remain anonymous, recounted hearing rapid gunfire followed by screams. There was a brief pause before another round of approximately 15-16 shots was fired. The incident occurred at 10:21 pm local time, and the police instructed everyone to remain in their vehicles and not leave the scene.
The Ottawa police confirmed the fatalities were two men aged 26 and 29, both hailing from Toronto, Canada’s largest city. Among the six injured were several Americans, although their identities have not been disclosed. The police assured that none of the wounded individuals were in critical condition.
Martin Groulx, a police inspector, stated that the investigation was ongoing and that they were still piecing together the events of the incident. He clarified that there was no current evidence suggesting the shooting was a hate crime related to race or religious beliefs. However, he did not rule out the possibility, stating that the motive behind the shooting was yet to be determined.
As of Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been made in connection with the incident. The two fatalities from this incident bring the total number of homicides in Ottawa to 12 for the year 2023. Ottawa, Canada’s capital, has a population of approximately one million.