People seen running as gunshots fired outside Kitchener house party

KITCHENER — Waterloo Regional Police are looking for a man they believe is a suspect in a downtown Kitchener shooting over the weekend after people at a house party were seen running away as shots were fired.

The gunfire began at a party after two people were fighting at 101 Charles St. E. at the intersection of Cedar Street at about 2 a.m. Sunday.

The dispute and the gunshots occurred outside of the house, police said.

Officers were called to the area after reports of multiple shots.

One man was shot. He remains in hospital in stable condition.

Const. Ashley Dietrich of regional police said the incident could have been much worse with bullets flying and people outside. “Many more people could have been hurt,” she said.

Neighbours said as many as 10 people were seen running away from the house, some running up the hill on Cedar Street and others hiding in bushes.

One resident at Cedar View apartments said he saw people running from the house to cars parked in a lot at Cedar View.

After the shooting, people hid around the property, while others got into their cars and took off, he said.

Neighbour Andy Lee said the home at 101 Charles St. E is often listed for rent as an Airbnb property. He said he knows a friend who stayed there, and he even attended a party there himself last year.

Lee, who has lived in the area for a year and a half, said the house is occasionally rented by families or larger groups.

“Most of the time I feel like it’s empty,” he said.

Police say the suspect is described as a Black man with a thin build and short black hair.

They want to speak to the people who were seen running away from the house after the shooting.

Police would also like to speak to witnesses or anyone who was in the area on Sunday between 1:45 and 2:15 a.m.

Anyone with information or video footage of the area at that time is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777 or Crime Stoppers at 1800-222-8477.