Ottawa police concerned young people resorting to ‘extreme’ amounts of violence
An Ottawa Police superintendent says young people are dying in Ottawa because they're resorting to an “extreme amount of violence."
Acting Supt. Carl Cartright made the comment as the investigation continues into the 14th homicide of 2021. Creflo Tansia, 18, of Ottawa was killed in a shooting on Murray Street near Beausoleil Drive in Lowertown Tuesday night.
Appearing on CTV Morning Live Thursday morning, Cartright was asked what is fuelling the rise in violence on Ottawa streets this year.
"The issue that's fuelling it is that we have young individuals who are willing to use the extreme amount of force to resolve their issue," said Cartright.
"I'm speaking in general to the systemic violence that we're seeing out there – whether it's by means of a firearm, whether it's by means of an edged object or a blunt object. We're seeing young people dying because they're resorting to extreme amount of violence, and that's what we need to get a hold of."
Cartright admits the prevalence of illegal firearms and the trafficking of firearms are an issue in Ottawa and across Canada, but the real issue is the violence Ottawa is seeing and those who are impacted.
"The population that are being generally impacted, not all our victims in Ottawa fit that description, but it's young individuals and that is the true tragedy here," said Cartright.
"They're children, they may not believe so but they are children. So we have Creflo Tansia, I will repeat his name because it needs to be said. He was a son, he was a loved one, people cared about him so we'll give him a voice."
Cartright says it's too early to speculate on a motive in the death of Tansia.
"What it is clearly, from the evidence that I know, is that an extreme amount of violence was used, where a life was lost without any reason."
Ottawa police will be speaking with Tansia's family and members of the community Thursday to hear their concerns and thoughts following his death.
"At the end of the day, whether this was related to any action that this young man may or may not have been involved, we need to put that on the backburner," said Cartright.
"The key is that he was 18-years-old, will never see his 19th birthday. For whatever reason his entire life was ahead of him, for some ridiculous reason, and it is ridiculous, he lost his life. We should get to the bottom of that."
There have been two homicides in Lowertown this summer. On July 4, L. Ndongozi Nkuzimana, also known as Tyson Loris or Tyson Ndongozi, died after a shooting in the area of Jules Morin Park near York Street and Beausoleil Drive.
There have been 14 homicides in Ottawa in 2021, up from eight homicides in the capital in 2020.
Police say eight people have been killed in shootings so far in 2021. Cartright concedes the rise in homicides is "serious."
"So that's an increase this year and we're doing our best to get a hold of it and to address the issue," said Cartright.
"Within the last 24 hours, we lost an 18-year-old young man and that's what the conversation needs to be. He may have believed he was an adult, but he was a child. Creflo Tansia lost his life and it is something that we should take very seriously."
Cartright says overall, Ottawa is a "fairly safe city."
"However, yes the spike in homicides and in violence is something that we should not overlook," said Cartright.
"We are still, overall, the city of Ottawa is a good city, it's a safe city to be. However, we are approaching numbers we have not seen in some time, and that should be worrisome for everyone."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.