Shooting at McDonald's parking lot now being investigated as homicide

Waterloo regional police say a fatal shooting in Kitchener on Wednesday is now being investigated as a homicide.

Officers were called to the parking lot of a McDonald’s on Ottawa Street near River Road around 2 a.m. When they arrived, they found an injured man in his 20s. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police initially held off on labelling the incident a homicide, calling it only a “sudden death.”

On Thursday, police confirmed the shooting is now being investigated as a homicide and investigators believe the shooting was targeted.

Police have not released a suspect description or information on a possible motive.

On Wednesday morning, police tape could be seen surrounding the McDonald’s and adjacent parking lot, with a white SUV behind the tape.

The SUV had a flat rear tire and blood was visible inside on the passenger side and on the pavement nearby. Police remained tight lipped about what significance the vehicle played in the shooting.

“Sometimes with the examination of a vehicle, we will do it at the time and later on, and we’ll be able to determine if the shooting was in the vehicle or somewhere outside the vehicle,” Lambert said.

Police said they’ll rely on surveillance cameras, which could be seen around the McDonalds parking lot, in their investigation.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.