TORONTO -- Two people killed in a quadruple shooting at a Hamilton, Ont. bar, while attending a memorial celebration for a murder victim, have been identified by police.
Hamilton police said that a man walked into Urban Lounge on Barton Street East shortly after 5 a.m. on Sunday and fired multiple gunshots, injuring four people.
Police said the victims had earlier in the night attended a memorial celebration at Zen Lounge for murder victim Carel Douse, who was killed in May 2019 at a home in Hamilton. After Zen Lounge closed, the celebration moved to Urban Lounge.
Paramedics initially took all four victims to a hospital. However, one of them was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Police confirmed shortly after that a second victim had died in hospital.
The 39-year-old man killed in the shooting has been identified as Jahmal Thomas and the 25-year-old woman has been identified as Rhonda Hornsombath.
A 38-year-old man and a 29-year-old man injured in the shooting are recovering in hospital.
"Rhonda was an amazing person, mother, sister and best friend with a huge heart and we are all devastated, and disgusted, beyond belief by this senseless act," Homsombath's sister, Ranny, told CTV News Toronto on Monday.
"It's been a horrible situation."
Hornsombath hit by 'stray gunfire'
Det. Sgt. Steve Bereziuk said the victims in hospital are cooperating with the investigation.
"Our investigative team believes that Jahmal was the intended victim of the shooting but why we don't know," Bereziuk said on Monday.
"The motive right now is undetermined. We believe there was a dispute of some sorts between one or more males with Jahmal, I understand that dispute may have been very brief and shots were fired."
"We believe Rhonda and the other two males shot are causalities of stray gun fire."
Police said Thomas is known to police but would not elaborate further.
Police said they have not been able to establish a relationship between any of the victims.
Bereziuk said he does not know why the bar was open at 5 a.m. and why it was serving alcohol at the time.
Authorities said the suspect fled in an unknown direction after the shooting and has not been located.
The suspect is described as a black man in his 30s, about five-foot-10 tall, with a thin build and short braided hair. He was wearing dark jeans or pants and a track suit-style zip-up jacket.
Anyone with information is being urged to contact police at 905-546-3825 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
