Shots fired in Kitchener

People living in a Kitchener townhouse complex were jolted awake Thursday morning by the sound of gunshots.

The shooting, in the area of Courtland Avenue East and Block Line Road, happened around 5:50 a.m.

No injuries were reported, but for the people living nearby, the incident has left them on edge.

Residents told CTV News police cordoned off some areas with bright yellow tape, but the people living in the neighbourhood were given no further information about the investigation while officers combed the area.

In a media release, investigators with the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) said multiple people had been involved in an altercation in the area when the shots were fired.

They believe the people involved knew each other.

Earlier this week, CTV News spoke with WRPS Police Chief Mark Crowell about the number of shootings so far this year.

“We’ve seen 12 shootings in our region to date,” he said. “Compared to last year we had 18 total shootings. In 2022, 25 [shootings]. So we are concerned about the number of violent cases involving firearms.”

So far, shootings this year have resulted in at least two deaths while several others have been hurt.

Police are looking for any witnesses to Thursday’s incident, or anyone who may have been in the area when the shots were fired.