OTTAWA -- Ottawa Police have increased patrols in several west-end neighbourhoods after four shootings over the past five days.

Investigators believe two shootings on Ritchie Street, a shooting on Summerville Avenue and a shooting on Woodridge Crescent are linked and related to gang activity in Ottawa.

"Our investigators have some very good leads why this is occurring. This is clearly a dispute," said Ottawa Police Insp. Carl Cartright.

"Dispute with a group of individuals and they have resorted to resolve their dispute by the actions you have seen over the past few days. This is personal; this is personal grudge; this is vindictive acts by individuals related to criminal activity."

No one was hurt in the four shootings.

"Our greatest concern with the Ottawa Police is this brazen and irresponsible behaviour by others to solve their disputes by means of firearms," said Insp. Cartright on Wednesday afternoon.

"But they're not just targeting themselves, that's the greatest concern, they're targeting a community, they're targeting housing areas where they're actually creating trauma in that community."

Insp. Cartright says Ottawa Police are concerned the shootings are happening in neighbourhoods, adding families in these homes are traumatized.

"These individuals are targeting people who they don't have any issues with."

Insp. Cartright says investigators believe the four shootings in the west-end are linked. The four recent shootings are:

  • Saturday, July 25: Shots fired at a home in the 100 block of Ritchie Street
  • Sunday, July 26: Shots fired outside a home on Summerville Avenue
  • Monday, July 27: Shots fired at a home on Woodridge Crescent
  • Wednesday, July 29: Shots fired at a home in the 0-100 block of Ritchie Street

Ottawa Police have increased their presence in the neighbourhoods following the shootings.

"We want to make sure that no further incidents occur," said Insp. Cartright, adding police are focusing on more than just solving the crime.

"When you have individuals who are brazenly shooting at will, not only do we want to catch them but we want to prevent that. So, we're going to put the resources in play, and those resources are going to stay at play until we can see that the danger has subsided."

Ottawa Police are also investigating two other shootings since Saturday, including a homicide.