Man on Canada’s Most Wanted list for Kitchener, Ont. shooting, arrested

One of Canada’s Most Wanted suspects has been arrested.

Habiton Solomon, the man accused in the fatal 2023 shooting of Joshua Tarnue in a Kitchener, Ont. plaza, is now in police custody.

On July 22, 2023, police were called to break up a fight between multiple people in a parking lot at King Street West and Caroline Street North in Hamilton, Ont.

There they discovered evidence of a shooting, but no injuries were reported.

Officers investigating the incident saw Solomon in the city’s downtown core on Friday and tried to arrest him.

The 21-year-old fled but was arrested after a chase.

Hamilton Police weren’t initially aware that Solomon was wanted for Tarnue’s killing at the time of his arrest.

Tarnue case

Joshua Tarnue was shot on Aug. 13, 2023 in a parking lot near Queen and Charles streets in downtown Kitchener.

The 18-year-old was found with a gunshot wound and taken to hospital where he was then pronounced dead.

Joshua Tarnue, 18, has been identified by family members as the victim of a fatal shooting in downtown Kitchener on Sunday Aug. 13, 2023. (Submitted)

Waterloo Regional Police made their first arrest in the case the following month, charging a 19-year-old Hamilton man with manslaughter.

A Canada-wide warrant was issued the following day for Solomon. Police said he was wanted for second-degree murder and should be considered armed and dangerous.

A third person, only identified as a 25-year-old Hamilton man, was also charged with manslaughter in the case in October.

In April 2024, Solomon was named one of the Bolo Program’s top 25 most wanted fugitives in Canada. A $50,000 reward was also offered for information leading to his arrest.

What's next

Solomon, who is from Hamilton, remains in the custody of Hamilton police.

"He will be dealt with on a number of charges from Hamilton," Inspector Kyle Lambert, with the Waterloo Regional Police Service, said in an interview with CTV News. "Then, at some point, we will have investigators attend that area and place him under arrest on the Canada-wide warrant for second-degree murder and deal with the charge at that time."

He's relieved that Tarnue's family is no longer living with uncertainty.

"I don't know if it brings peace to them, but obviously to be able to say that we believe the three people that are involved in the death of Mr. Tarnue [have been arrested] will hopefully bring some sort of solace to them," Lambert said.

It's also a relief to investigators.

"They've been working extensively since the incident took place," he added. "To have Mr. Solomon in custody, it's rewarding. Plus the fact that Mr. Solomon was involved in a number of violent offences, to have him in custody, obviously the safety of the public is our utmost priority."

Lambert said police continue to investigate Tarnue's shooting.

"The investigation doesn't stop."

CTV News Kitchener has received an award for their ongoing coverage of Joshua Tarnue's murder.