Gun seized from man at festival in Hamilton, preventing 'tragedy': police

Hamilton police say officers arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly brought a handgun at a festival in Hamilton where many gathered, including children, Saturday night, preventing a “tragedy.”

Around 9:20 p.m., officers on patrol at Winona Peach Festival at Winona Park saw a disturbance break out near the midway between two men and went on to investigate.

“As officers approached, bystanders alerted that one of the suspects in this altercation had a firearm which had been racked and ready to fire,” Insp. Jim Callender told reporters during a press conference Sunday afternoon.

Officers proceeded to arrest the man, but Callender said several people tried to impede or swarm in on them as they were apprehending him.

“Our officers were attempting to gain compliance and giving directions to those members of the community to back away from the area to create a safe space for us. (But) they weren’t abiding by those directions,” he said.

According to Callender, that prompted the officers to use OC spray and batons “to gain some space” so they could complete the arrest.

Police were later able to take the man into custody, and Callender said a firearm with a high-capacity magazine and ammunition was found to be in his possession. He noted that the gun was modified so that “it became from a semi-automatic to the ability to be fully automatic.”

“This took place at a time and place and a location where there were hundreds of families and children in the area,” Callender said.

“These officers stepped up and, knowing the capacity of what that firearm could have done, stopped a tragedy.”

The suspect has been charged with several offences, including possessing a loaded firearm and possessing a prohibited weapon.

Man assaulted with baseball bat near Winona Peach Festival

Around 10:30 p.m., police received another call about a disturbance in a parking lot close to the festival near Highway 8 and Winona Road. A group of males were reportedly attacking another man with a baseball bat.

“I believe there was a disturbance that was occurring in the parking lot that bled into their private property. I think there was an interjection by the resident, and then they became a victim of an assault,” Callender said.

When officers arrived, the group fled. Meanwhile, the victim, a 53-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

No descriptions of the suspects have been released.

Police would later respond to two separate shootings that left a total of five people injured. Callender described it as a “violent night” in the city.

“As a community, we have to be joined in the fact that we cannot be comfortable with what happened over the last 24 hours. We need to stand up,” the inspector said.

“We have to understand that why would anybody bring a firearm to a festival? We have to work together. We have to share information. We have to be one in creating some semblance of public order and public safety.”