Sault police investigating firearms incident as weapons calls increase
Sault Ste. Marie Police are continuing to investigate a call about a man with a rifle in the area of Chapple Avenue and Albion Street.
Police have so far been unable to find the suspect or the weapon. Later the same night, officers were called to a home where someone had barricaded themselves inside. The incidents are part of a spate of violent crimes in the Sault and police are concerned.
"We have noticed a significant increase in recent months in the amount of significant calls for service," said Sault Ste. Marie Police spokesman Lincoln Louttit. "Those are weapons calls, firearms calls."
Louttit said police believe the weapons calls are tied to a specific criminal activity.
"(A) direct correlation to the increase is believed to be directly tied to the drug subculture, the selling and purchasing of controlled substances," he said.
City Coun. Matthew Shoemaker, whose ward encompasses the Chapple and Albion area, is expressing concern about the firearms incident.
"It is gravely concerning that police searched for and were unable to locate the person wielding a firearm in the area," said Shoemaker in a statement to CTV News. "I trust every effort was taken to ensure the safety of the area, but such calls are distressing for the entire area and should not be happening in our city."
Sault Ste. Marie Police said they do not believe the firearms incident is related to the call about a barricaded individual. Meantime, police said stepped up patrols of problem areas in the Sault will continue.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.