Gun violence is on the rise in Canada. In parts of the Greater Toronto Area, it’s a record-breaking year
Melanie Ward vividly remembers the moment she received the devastating news that her son, Alexander Circiumaru, had been shot and killed in broad daylight on his way to an appointment in downtown Hamilton. The haunting clarity of that moment still lingers in her mind.
“I just dropped to my knees and screamed,” she recalled. Circiumaru, only 19 years old, was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival. Since that tragic day in March, Ward has been struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.
“I lost my son. I lost the teenager. I lost the 19 years of his life and now I lose his future,” Ward lamented. The pain of losing a child to senseless violence is a burden that no parent should ever have to bear.
Unfortunately, Ward is not alone in her grief. Gun violence has been on the rise in Hamilton and across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) this year, with several police forces reporting a surge in shootings since January. In Hamilton alone, there have been 58 shootings as of November 4, compared to 35 for all of last year—a record for the city.
Staff Sgt. Steve Bereziuk, who leads the Hamilton Police Service’s shooting response team, expressed concern over the alarming trend of daytime shootings and shootouts involving multiple firearms. Incidents like these have become all too common, with disturbing incidents such as using a human shield during a shooting and a child playing with a gun resulting in tragedy.
Peel Regional Police, York, and Toronto have also seen a significant increase in gun violence this year. Peel police officers are seizing an illegal firearm every 36 hours on average, leading to more gun violence than ever before, according to Chief Nishan Duraiappah. The numbers are staggering, with an 86% increase in illegal guns seized compared to last year.
Experts attribute the rise in gun violence to the availability of illegal firearms, many of which come from the United States. Jooyoung Lee, a professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, emphasized the need for tighter border security and addressing socioeconomic disparities to combat gun violence effectively.
While the Canadian federal government’s 2022 “freeze” on the sale, purchase, and transfers of handguns may not have had a significant impact on reducing crime, Lee believes that focusing on marginalized communities and addressing root causes of violence is crucial.
As families like Ward’s continue to grapple with the devastating consequences of gun violence, it is evident that urgent action is needed to prevent further loss of life and ensure the safety of our communities. Until then, Ward and others like her will continue to mourn the loss of loved ones whose futures were tragically cut short.
