WATERLOO -- In the wake of the Waterloo Region's 12th shooting this year, one local expert says more needs to be done to prevent further gun violence.
"It's a concerning trend going the wrong way," said Michael Parkinson with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council. "We need to get off this wheel of always being reactive, shutting down successful programs and keep them going for the long run."
Parkinson is urging community leaders to change the funding model to better support local programs aimed at crime prevent.
"There's no substitute for an adequate income, for a good job, for having supports in schools, for having the opportunities in recreation and arts and sports," he said.
Parkinson's calls for more supports come as Waterloo regional police continue to investigate a pair of weekend shootings in Waterloo and Kitchener.
Police say the first shots were fired around 4 p.m. Saturday as two vehicles sped south on Hwy. 85 between Lancaster and Guelph Streets in Waterloo.
According to police, a shot was fired into a 2016 four-door, grey Honda Civic by a passenger in a Mercedes Benz AMG E 63.
Officials are still searching for the suspect vehicle, adding it has a stolen Ontario license plate but was seen earlier with a Quebec plate.
At least two people were allegedly inside the car.
The two cars then made their way to Avalon Place in Kitchener where more shots were fired.
Residents who live in the area say a car ended up crashing into a dumpster.
The driver of the Honda Civic, a 23-year-old man was allegedly found in a nearby wooded area and taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The suspects are still on the lam. The Mercedes was last spotted near Barbara Crescent and Stirling Avenue South heading toward Homer Watson Boulevard.
Police believe those involved are from outside the province.
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic says more funding is needed from the province and the feds to address cross-jurisdictional crime.
"We can't lose sight of the fact there are some serious issues right now that we can't deal with from a prevention point of view," he said.
