Male found with gunshot wound in Kitchener, police investigating

There was a heavy police presence in Kitchener on Tuesday after a male was found with a gunshot wound and airlifted to hospital.

Waterloo Regional Police posted on social media around 2 p.m. that officers were on scene near Mill Park Drive and Green Valley Drive area due to an injured male.

Shortly after, police confirmed the male had been shot and he was taken to an out-of-region hospital by air ambulance.

Public Information Officer with Waterloo Regional Police, Chris Iden, told CityNews 570 that police responded to the area at approximately 1 p.m.

“Upon arrival, police located a male and discovered what is believed to be gunshot wounds,” he said. “Officers were quick to respond with first-aid measures, however, the male had to be airlifted to an out-of-region hospital for serious injuries.”

That male has since been identified by police as a 35-year-old.

Iden said it’s believed that a member of the community located that male along a pathway near Mill Park Drive and called emergency services.

Kenneth, who lives in the area, tells CityNews 570 that he didn’t see anything but a friend told him that someone was shot in the area.

“I drove here right away because I live here and wanted to know what happened,” he said. “My friend and I live here and we use the trail quite a lot and that’s why he called me. It makes me very nervous.”

Jim also lives in the area and said he saw the air ambulance flying over the complex he lives in.

“It was crazy, there were like 7, 8, or 9 police cars,” he said. “That doesn’t happen for somebody that had a heart attack or something. They had some of the bushes here taped off and told me to stay off the trail. [Police] were armed with rifles. It’s pretty crazy, never expected anything like this if it is a shooting.”

Jim described the scene as the air ambulance made its way into the park across the street from where the alleged shooting took place.

“It was just humming, the whole house shook,” he said. “I thought there was a [crash] at the corner of Homer Watson and Pioneer because that’s a pretty crazy intersection.”

Police said the shooting incident is believed to be targeted, as they emphasize there is no ongoing concern for public safety.