Two persons are deceased and a 3rd suffered life-threatening accidents in an assault at an encampment in Kingston, Ont. Thursday. A suspect has been arrested following a multi-hour standoff.
Officers had been known as to 661 Montreal St. at 10:40 a.m. Thursday on experiences of an assault on the encampment close to the Built-in Care Hub.
“It occurred in numerous areas on the grounds of Belle Park after which out onto Montreal Road,” Kingston Police media relations officer Const. Anthony Colangeli advised reporters on the scene. “That is why our scene was so large. We had a number of scenes and we wished to make it as large as doable to stop additional public issues of safety.”
Three victims and the suspect had been discovered on the scene.
Frontenac County Paramedics confirmed three sufferers had been taken to Kingston Normal Hospital in essential situation. The victims had stab wounds and accidents from a blunt object, in response to police.
In an replace, police mentioned two of the victims, each males, have died. The third, a lady, stays in hospital with life-threatening accidents. Police mentioned the victims and the suspect knew one another.
The 2 individuals who had been killed have been recognized as Taylor Wilkinson, 38, and John Hood, 41. Police usually are not figuring out the third one who stays within the hospital.
Cops surrounded the suspect and spent a number of hours making an attempt to get him to give up. He was arrested simply earlier than 5 p.m., “with out additional incident,” police mentioned.
He has been recognized as Andre Wareham, 47. He’s charged with two counts of second-degree homicide and one depend of tried homicide.
Kingston police have closed a stretch of Montreal Road following an assault that killed two individuals and critically injured one other on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Peter Szperling/ Ontario Chronicle Ottawa)
Montreal Road was closed between Hickson Avenue and Railway Road for an prolonged time period because the investigation. It reopened Friday morning.
Mayor requires closure of Built-in Care Hub
In an announcement issued Thursday afternoon, Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson mentioned he’s horrified by the incident, calling it a “mindless act of violence.”
He’s calling for the Built-in Care Hub (ICH) to shut instantly.
“I can’t stand by and wait till extra individuals die – sufficient is sufficient,” he mentioned. “We have to clear the encampment, shut this protected injection web site and the ICH till we will discover a higher solution to help our most susceptible residents and work with the province to supply therapy and housing options.”
He blamed “neighborhood companions and advocates” for preventing the town “on each try we have made to clear this encampment and guarantee public security for these dwelling there.”
Paterson mentioned he’d have extra to say as soon as extra details about the state of affairs is understood.
In an announcement Thursday night the Built-in Care Hub mentioned it was closing for “a few days” as a way to help police.
“We’re deeply saddened by the information of the incident that occurred within the Montreal and Railway Road space of Kingston right this moment. Our speedy precedence is to help our purchasers and people in our neighborhood who’re impacted in addition to after all the employees of all our organizations,” the assertion mentioned. “That is an lively police investigation, and to help their ongoing investigation we have now been requested to quickly shut the companies of the Built-in Care Hub (ICH) at 661 Montreal Road. This closure shall be efficient instantly and is predicted to final a few days.”
The ICH mentioned it’s dedicated to collaborating with all well being, social service, municipal and different sector companions to search out workable options for all individuals.
“Collectively, we face essentially the most tough social issues of our time, and as ever, our focus is on working with our neighborhood to help essentially the most susceptible,” the ICH mentioned. “Thanks to Kingston Police Companies and all Emergency Response suppliers for responding to this very tough and difficult state of affairs.”
–With information from Ontario Chronicle Ottawa’s Katie Griffin
