Hamilton police say they have seen a "marked increase" in the number of incidents involving gunfire in the city in recent weeks, including ones that occurred in broad daylight near a daycare and a busy alleyway where children were walking home from school.

During a news conference on Wednesday, police released security camera footage of multiple incidents, including one video that showed a suspect firing at a vehicle in an alleyway where a small child was walking just moments earlier.

The daylight shooting occurred shortly before 5 p.m. on May 13 near Barton Street East and Kinrade Avenue.

According to investigators, witnesses reported an exchange of gunfire involving several individuals and bullets were found in buildings, vehicles, garages, and roadways. A vehicle that police believe was involved was found abandoned nearby. The suspects have not been apprehended, police said.

Police said in an effort to identify three suspects, they have released video footage of another shooting incident near Sherman Avenue South and Main Street, which occurred shortly before midnight on May 17.

In the footage, three males are seen running on the sidewalk before turning the corner. No injuries were reported. 

According to police, there have been 21 shootings in Hamilton since January 2024, an increase of 11 over the same period one year earlier.

“This is the highest number of shootings year-to-date since 2019,” police said in a news release.

They noted that the majority of the shooting incidents have been “targeted.”

“Do not let the reckless actions of a few define our community’s safety. As a community, we cannot accept or tolerate this level of violence,” Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen said in a written statement. “We can’t become complacent in response to these increasingly brazen acts.”

-With files from CP24's Joanna Lavoie