Shooting prompts heavy police presence in Kitchener neighbourhood

KITCHENER -

A 52-year-old man has been arrested in connection to a reported shooting at a townhouse complex on Linden Avenue in Kitchener on Saturday.

It was just before 11 a.m. when the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) report it received a shots fired call and officers responded to the neighbourhood near Victoria Park.

“All the side streets were all blocked off. You can't leave," Marie Lee, a resident of the complex targeted by police, told CTV News. "We were trying to go to our vehicle and we couldn't leave."

Police located a 38-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound who was transported to an out-of-region hospital with serious injuries. The shooting prompted a heavy police presence with officers asking residents to stay in their homes – leaving some neighbours on edge.

"Any time I think there is a gun involved early on I really want to make sure the neighbours in the community are safe so I made the decision to ask everyone to leave secure in their place right now until we could assess everything," said WRPS Insp. Deb McBride.

Officials later confirmed that officers cleared the residence at 35 Linden Avenue and five people were taken into custody.

A Kitchener man was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, weapons dangerous, and a number of firearm related offences.

Police believe it was a targeted incident.

The scene attracted several onlookers, including residents and neighbours.

"They drove in full armoured vehicles and they dressed up in full armour head gear, chest gear, full assault weapons," said Andrew Martens, who lives near where the shooting took place.

Police said the investigation is ongoing, but there is no further concern for public safety at this time.