17-year-old boy identified as Belinda’s shooter

Canadian authorities have identified the suspect in a brazen shooting that killed a young female Ghanaian identified as Belinda and also injured one man in downtown Hamilton last week.

In a news release issued Sunday, the police said an arrest warrant has been issued for 17-year-old Mackale Lavoie. He is wanted for second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

At approximately 5:25 p.m. on July 11, police allege that Lavoie encountered a group of three people in the downtown core who were the intended targets of a shooting.

“The male suspect opened fire, striking one of the individuals,” police said. “As he continued to shoot at a second person, an innocent bystander—26-year-old Belinda Sarkodie—was fatally struck.”

Officers described the initial scene at King Street East and James Street North as “chaotic and distressing.”