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
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Biden OKs US$60M in aid after Baltimore bridge collapse as governor warns of 'very long road ahead'
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a 'very long road ahead' to recover from the loss of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved US$60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.