London Police confirm, incidents where guns are being discharged more common

If it seems like more guns are being used in London this year, it’s because they are.

With crime statistics, perception isn’t always reality. A small cluster of incidents, in a short time, can make it seem like there’s a larger problem.

But when it comes to gun use in London this year, that’s not the case.

“For 2021, certainly the numbers are trending higher than we’ve seen the past five years or so,” says London Police Service Detective Superintendent Paul Bastien.

He says that as of August, there had been 23 incidents where guns had been discharged and there have been three other incidents to this point in September.

“The fact is, the majority of the shootings that we investigate are not random. Many of them are targeted.”

The most recent shooting incident happened on Thurman Circle around 3 a.m. Saturday. A bullet sliced through a garage door of a home and slammed into a nearby wall.

Those close to the incident, who don’t want to be identified, say two post-secondary students were in the garage pumping up an air mattress at the time and were narrowly missed. They insist neither the house nor the students were targets.