Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton issued a statement Monday saying there are “no ongoing community safety concerns” in the wake of a targeted shooting of a man early Sunday morning in a Beamsville townhome.
“Our community has shown strength and compassion following a tragic incident Sunday. We commend the Niagara Regional Police for a quick response, dedication to solving this crime and ensuring the safety of our community. Police say this was a targeted incident with no ongoing community safety concerns. Beamsville and Lincoln continue to be a safe place to raise a family, work, and visit,” her statement said.
Beamsville residents called Niagara police early Sunday morning after some neighbours heard gunshots ring out in the townhome community of Francchino Dr and Cachet 13 in the Beamsville community of the town of Lincoln early Sunday.
Uniformed police officers from 8 Division in Grimsby were called to the area in response to “a suspicious person complaint”. They subsequently searched the area and discovered the body of a man in a residence at 4020 Francchino Dr. Niagara police later characterized the death as a “targeted incident”.
Since then, Niagara homicide detectives have been canvassing the neighborhood looking for surveillance footage or dashcam video of late-night drivers in the area.
Local residents say the neighhood is shaken up after the violence.
“Neighbours (are) all shook because this is a new survey and very family-oriented,” one woman told Niagara Info. “It’s awful. We are all out scared.”
The neighbourhood is characterized by locals as quiet and friendly. Another local said: “I was shocked to see … there was something going on here. I looked out my front window and could only see reflections of police lights. I was curious to go out and look but then I thought maybe the shooter was still around so I didn’t.”
The resident added: “It is upsetting to know someone died in such a violent manner so close, and also the police saying it’s targeted really doesn’t assure me.”
One neighbour to the home said they often heard yelling from the house.
“We are pretty scared, and we have young kids who don’t stop asking questions,” said a local woman.
Other than a brief description of the police response to the apparent Beamsville murder, Niagara police have not been forthcoming with many details. They have not identified the deceased man or stated whether he was shot. However, the presence of homicide detectives in the neighbourhood suggests police are treating the death as a possible murder.
On Monday, police also arrested an unidentified man after a pursuit on a farm property off Hwy 20 between Smithville and St. Ann’s. The search for the man involved police dogs and the use of a police drone. It is unclear if the arrest was related to the Beamsville death.
Police says they will release further details as they become available.