BRAMPTON, Ont. – A nine-year-old boy watching TV in his Brampton home was fatally shot in the head by a single bullet that was fired through a window, Peel Regional Police said Thursday.
Kesean Williams, a Grade 4 student at Sir Winston Churchill Public School, was shot Wednesday night and died hours later of his injuries in hospital.
Police believe the house in Brampton was targeted.
“Evidence shows that the house was targeted,” said Chief Jennifer Evans.
“This was not a stray bullet,” she said. “My officers will work tirelessly in order to identify and apprehend the person or persons responsible for Kesean’s death.”
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Police do not know who the intended target might have been and are reviewing who the previous tenants of the house were.
According to police, Kesean, his 15-year-old brother and his mother moved to the Brampton area five months ago from Hamilton. But only moved in to that home last week.
“This is a tragedy for the family and the friends of young Kesean and for our entire community,” Evans said.
“Kesean was an innocent, young boy who was senselessly murdered in his own home.”
No arrests have been made yet. Police are canvassing the area, interviewing residents, and sifting through preliminary descriptions of people who were seen running from the area.
Police seized a cab at the site of the shooting and three people were being interviewed as witnesses, police said.
Police could not specify the exact location of where the shot was fired. No casings were found at the scene, police said.
Acting Supt. George Koekkoek said “physical evidence” suggested that the residence was targeted.
“What we’ve learned thus far leads us to believe that it was the house that was targeted,” he said.
“That said, it’s early on in the investigation and we’re trying to confirm that, so we’re open to other things as well, but that’s what we believe.”
“It’s totally unfathomable to think that, as I say, a young child sitting in his home, in the comfort of his own home, that something as tragic as this could happen,” he said.
Koekkoek said Kesean’s 15-year-old brother and mother are “obviously devastated by the tragedy.”
Down the street, the flag outside Sir Winston Churchill Public School flew at half-mast.
“I lost my friend last night,” one boy said. “We were best buddies because we played soccer and basketball together.”
“My heart is broken by this news,” Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell said in a statement.
“On behalf of the people of Brampton, I offer my sincerest condolences to the family, friends and classmates of Kesean.”
Members of the Peel District School Board’s critical incident response team have been sent to the school.
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At some point, the gun was legal. It’s quite unlikely that it was made in someone’s basement. If it were sold illegally to someone along the way, the lack of a gun registry prevents the police from finding where that deviation occured. We find fault for selling too much alcohol to somone who is about to drive. We hold the driver guilty of all crimes commited in a robbery. So it’s not so far a stretch to hold those who sell firearms illegally accuntable for the crimes commited with those guns. If we did, you’d see a slowdown in illegal gun sales. However, with the lack of a gun registry, tracing them back to find the last legal sale or to prove that a sale was illegal is now nearly impossible. And remember, it’s only a crime if you get caught.
We have a hand gun registry in Canada.
Heartbreaking is right…. I couldn’t even sleep last night thinking about this. I live a short distance from this location. Too many sick people running around. Something is changing in our society here as it was never like this before. Not that I heard about 30 years ago anyways… There is a whole list of things that have changed around us… The problem, in my opinion, is ultimately the peoples mental state, but the gateway to “some” of it… The blessed “Internet”.
Ontario already has strict guns laws, unfortunately only us law abiding citizens abide by them. Perhaps we should address the REAL issue…. CRIME.
That area is a mess. Cops in and out all the time- high drug crime ! Sadly to say such an innocent boy being indirectly involved. I am sure the shooter didn’t care !
Very Very Sad!!!! That Bullet could be for someone else in the house. Unfortunately, the little innocent boy happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and died for someone else. Now What’s next? The other person/persons are still alive.
For the love of our children – can we not get better laws to throw these people in jail or OUT OF THE COUNTRY if they are immigrants. Instead of fighting for stupid things, can we not direct our politicians to do good instead of battering each other over stupidity. God bless this little boy and his family who did nothing wrong. I hope the person responsible has the courage to turn him/herself in.
For as long as there are humans on the face of this earth – there will be murder. Whether it’s by hands, clubs, sticks, knives, guns, or bombs – the ingenuity of the human sole to find a way to destroy itself is boundless.
My sympathies to the family of the child and may god have mercy on his sole.
@jazbo, you are an idiot. Gun control is in part there to solve crimes like these. A large percentage of weapons used in crimes are stolen. Morons who want to completely eliminate control may as well be suggesting that cars shouldn’t have license plates.
God bless this 9 year old boy and may he rest in peace now. My question is “Why was a 9 year old boy out on the street that late on a school night without an adult?” Most 9 year olds are in bed at this hour. Children are a blessing and should be loved, taken care of and protected.
Parents please love and protect your children when they are at an age where they can not do it for themselves.
Janis, he was sitting in his living room with his 16 yr old brother on the couch at 8:30pm watching tv. He wasn’t out and niether him or his older brother had ever been in trouble at school or with the law. It appears that who ever had lived there before was targeted.
I just read the bullet went through the window of the family home! I am sorry for my previous question.
We need stiffer gun laws in Ontario.
God bless all who are affected by this and find comfort in knowing we will all meet again one day.
Do you really think this was a legal gun?
Our innocent children are dying, parents are mourning. The chaos must stop! No more guns! Choose love!
yes , prayers god and Jesus are the answer, because its not like god is omnipotent or anything, oh wait he is? well then what the heck was he doing?
this kid is dead from a lead slug, physics, not magic.
Tragic. And apparently “gun control” may not work as well as some think. But then, it only controls those who are law abiding, not criminals, so we really wouldn’t expect it to, would we?
Speechless!!!! A parent’s worst nightmare! May this little boy become an angel, and may his family be blessed…..
absolutely heartbreaking.
How sad. 9 years old!!! Too many people are dying. Get the guns and the gangs off of the street!!! Change the laws. Young offenders act….must be changed! Law abiding citizens should not have to suffer at the cost of the stupidity and senseless acts such as this.
My daughters slept in bed with me last night after hearing the buzz from the social media. God Bless that little boy and his family.
Children should not be victims of these crazy gun incidents. This needs to stop!
When is this BS going to stop?? Our government watched the gun violence escalate in the USA and yet we follow in their footsteps……..Geezus!!! Criminals using guns should be put away for at minimum 15 years, no parole after 5, no good behavior reductions……15 long years, period for the first offence. And here’s a clue with what happened this week, get rid of the “house arrest” sentence. And fire that judge that allowed that monster out!!!