Police probing two deaths in as many days
Ottawa police identified 39-yearold Austin Simon of Ottawa as the man who was fatally stabbed on Murray Street on Thursday night in the city’s 12th homicide of the year.
No arrests have been made and no suspects are in custody.
Patrol officers were called to Murray Street around 10:25 p.m. Thursday, on Halloween, after Ottawa Inner City Health staff, who operate a supervised injection site from a trailer on the Shepherds of Good Hope’s property, found the unconscious man.
Simon, who was stabbed in the neck, was lying on the sidewalk near the shelter. He was without vital signs. Efforts were made to revive him, but were unsuccessful.
Paramedics transported him to hospital, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Police have encountered several incidents of violence around the supervised injection site since it opened in 2017.
Staff at Ottawa Inner City Health said Friday that they were unable to comment, given the ongoing police investigation.
Deirdre Freiheit, president and CEO of the Shepherds, said the shelter was put on lockdown during the initial investigation and reopened shortly afterwards. She said staff provided medical assistance to Simon before first responders arrived.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and loved ones of the victim,” Freiheit said.
Ottawa police Deputy Chief Steve Bell said that the service was “looking at how we might enhance the community model as we grow it to better directly support the whole area.” That community model includes a recently deployed neighbourhood resource team to cover Vanier and Overbrook, but also bikes and beats officers who patrol Lowertown and the ByWard Market.
On Friday afternoon, about a dozen people braved the cold on the block near the shelter, aware of the previous night’s stabbing, but none knew Simon.
“I’ve only been around here a month,” one said. “And I’m a homie … I come down and get my weed, and then I go home.”
Another, Zack John, who has an alcohol addiction, says that, despite Thursday’s incident, he felt “mostly safe” in the area at night. “But I don’t get involved with the people here.”
A man who refused to give his name said the stabbing was just another example of why he avoided the area after dark.
“When you get mental-health problems and addictions together, it’s a powder keg. It’s just these childish arguments and they get out of hand.”
Homicide detectives continued to probe the fatal stabbing and asked any witnesses or anyone with information to call major crime investigators at 613-2361222 ext. 5493.