North Bay police look for help from public with solving violent home invasion

North Bay police are hoping the public will be able to help solve a historic home invasion in the city’s West Ferris area.

Police held a media conference Friday morning at the police station to create awareness about the ongoing investigation.

Officers said that in the early hours of June 13, 2023, two men forced their way into a home off Blair Street. Once inside they demanded money and property. One suspect fired a gun, hitting an occupant inside with a bullet.

Other people inside the home were hit and assaulted with firearms. The occupants had injuries and needed medical attention.

The suspects fled with property from the home in a four-door silver or grey sedan with its rear passenger wheel noticeably different than the others.

Det. Const. Eric Krmpotic doesn’t believe police are stuck at a roadblock with the case.

“I believe that it's an opportunity for us to reach out to the community to provide information that could make those connections with potentially the people involved in the case,” Krmpotic told reporters.

“The fact of the matter is that we haven’t solved this crime yet. In order to protect the integrity of that investigation, there's some information that we are not prepared to release at this time.”

Krmpotic said there is no reason to believe there is an imminent threat to public safety, as police believe it was a targeted event and not a random home invasion.

He notes both the OPP and Sault Ste. Marie Police have helped with the investigation, but wouldn’t elaborate on what level of help they are providing.

The first suspect is described as male, with a medium build, black, approximately 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11 inches tall and wearing a black shirt. The second suspect is described as male, thinner than the first suspect, with a darker complexion, approximately six feet tall and approximately 25 years old. He was wearing a black hoodie.

Police are partnering with Near North Crime Stoppers to offer a maximum cash reward of $2,000 for anonymous information which leads to the suspects’ arrest.

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“We believe increasing the reward will urge individuals to take an active role in helping law enforcement solve this crime," Krmpotic said.

“Given that it's just past the one-year anniversary of this incident, we want to keep the incident top of mind with members of the community and to let the community know that it's an important investigation.”