What began as a shooting targeted at a group of individuals in downtown Hamilton has now turned into a homicide investigation — and police have officially identified the suspect they believe is responsible for taking an innocent life.
On Sunday evening, Hamilton Police named 17-year-old Mackale Lavoie as the suspect in the fatal shooting of Berlinda Sarkodie, a 26-year-old woman from Ghana who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A Name, a Face — and a City Left Reeling
The name was released with urgency and weight. Mackale Lavoie is now wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. According to police, on Friday at around 5:25 p.m., Lavoie approached a group near James Street North and King Street East, believed to be his intended targets.
Gunfire erupted.
One man was hit but survived. Lavoie, still firing, aimed again — and struck Berlinda Sarkodie, who had no connection to the altercation.
She died at the scene.
She wasn’t armed. She wasn’t part of the group. She had immigrated to Canada from Ghana in 2024, looking for a better life, full of promise and peace.
Instead, she became the face of senseless urban violence.
Police Are Asking for Help
As of now, Lavoie is on the run, and police are urging anyone who sees him not to approach, but to call 905-546-4925 or 911 immediately. They consider him armed and dangerous.
His name and face may be known now — but the pain he left behind is just beginning to spread. Berlinda’s family is grieving. The Ghanaian-Canadian community is mourning. And the streets of Hamilton are once again echoing with the question: Why?
A Community Left Asking: How Did We Get Here?
Berlinda didn’t know her killer. She had no reason to be caught in a hail of bullets. She came to Canada for safety and opportunity — only to lose her life in a public space, on a summer evening, while doing nothing wrong.
There’s now a warrant. There will likely be a trial. But no amount of justice can bring her back.
The city needs answers, yes. But more than that — it needs healing, reflection, and real solutions.
Because one more name is one too many.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Mackale Lavoie, do not stay silent. Call 905-546-4925 or 911. Justice begins with truth — and truth begins with someone speaking up.
