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Hamilton police have arrested and charged a teenager four months after gunfire erupted near a downtown bus stop, killing innocent bystander Belinda Sarkodie.
“A young punk thinks it’s OK and thinks they’re entitled enough to show up on a scooter and take the life of a 26-year-old young girl, Belinda, from Ghana,” Chief Frank Bergen told a news conference on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old turned himself in on Tuesday, said Det. Sgt. John Obrovac. He is charged with second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.
“There was a relentless effort to pursue this individual once he was identified,” said Obrovac. “Everybody in the service did everything they possibly could — there was no resource spared. We had support from the top down. No doubt those efforts are what led to this person contacting us.”
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, Obrovac said. Other people involved have not co-operated with police.
Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, police cannot release the teen’s name or any other identifying information. Obrovac also wouldn’t comment on where he’s been the last four months while a warrant was out for his arrest.
Sarkodie died after the shooting near this bus shelter on July 11. (Justin Chandler/CBC)
The July 11 shooting took place at one of the city’s busiest intersections, “steps away” from a street festival where thousands of people had gathered, said Bergen.
On a scooter, an individual approached a group of people and shot one of them, causing non-life-threatening injuries, said the chief. Then, he attempted to shoot a second person, but instead hit Sarkodie.
Sarkodie wasn’t the only innocent bystander shot this year, Bergen noted.
International student Harsimrat Randhawa, 21, died after being hit by a stray bullet on the Hamilton Mountain on April 17. She was also waiting at a bus stop.
“They were just going about their normal day,” Bergen said.
He called on family members of youth engaged in crime to “call it out. You know what’s going on. You understand what these kids are doing. It’s unacceptable.”
Left Ghana for Canada seeking refuge
Sarkodie left Ghana in 2024 to seek refuge in Canada as a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, her girlfriend, Grace Nasiru, previously told CBC Hamilton.
Sarkodie was the youngest of three children and had been sending money back home to support her mother.
She worked at Hamilton’s airport, but travelled to Jackson Square on Fridays to grocery shop.
Evelyn Aidoo, who was like an aunt to Sarkodie, described her as kind, honest, cheerful and supportive.
“That’s not fair …. She thought she was safe here,” said Aidoo.