Three people, including a mother and son, have been charged with first degree murder in connection with the city's seventh homicide of the year.
Ottawa police say 20-year-old Dominique Chrétien, 23-year-old Johnnie-Dean Locey-Derochie and his mother, 40-year-old Candy Locey have been charged after 41-year-old Dady Jean, was shot to death on November 14th on Lacasse Avenue in Ottawa's Vanier area.
Jean’s murder was the 7th this year in Ottawa and one of dozens of shootings in 2015, including one Tuesday evening in Ottawa’s west end. It appears the victim drove himself to the hospital. He walked in with a gunshot wound and is not cooperating with police.
Ottawa Police say that shooting and the 41 others this year is a growing cause for concern.
Inspector Chris Renwick is in charge of the Ottawa Police Guns and Gangs Unit and says "Something is happening out there...where young men are taking steps to arm themselves."
Ottawa had a record number of shootings in 2014 with 49 and is fast approaching that now at 42.
Renwick says it's not the number that is alarming but where they're happening.
"Bullets are entering into homes," he says, "they’re hitting cars, going into crowded streets. It's such a public safety issue."
Police say all the shootings they are investigating were targeted and and many have been gang-related.
The city has committed $300,000 dollars towards helping young people leave gang life. The project is called "Time for Change."
Haleigh Guest is the project lead for the program with the John Howard Society. She works with high-risk individuals in the community and in custody to help offer supports and services and provide opportunities to steer them away from gang activity.
"We’re reaching out to individuals and their families who are impacted by gang involvement," says Guest, outside the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre, "that's a unique component of this program."
Guest says effective re-integration is the key to their success, including employment, education and housing.
"I do believe we will be able to make an impact on these individuals."
The other partner in the program is the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO). Ikram Jama is the manager for the multi-cultural liaison program at OCISO and says the project offers support that did not exist before to individuals who want to make a choice of a better life away from the gang lifestyle.
"It’s complicated," says Jama, "what gets them into crime is a long road so getting them out of that road will take time and investment."
There are an estimated 500 gang members in Ottawa. Police say those numbers don't appear to be going up but their use of guns does.
