2 people dead in Ottawa Street apartment — 1 death being investigated as a homicide, police say

Hamilton police's homicide unit is investigating after finding two people dead in an Ottawa Street apartment.

Det.-Sgt. Jason Cattle spoke to reporters late Friday morning, saying officers and the local fire department responded on Thursday at roughly 1 p.m.

They arrived at a three-storey apartment building at 112 Ottawa St. N., after reports someone living there hadn't been seen "for several days and not answering their door."

The nondescript, brick building has roughly eight residential units, according to Cattle. It's near one of the city's main shopping districts.

Cattle said police and firefighters had to force their way into the unit on the main floor because the front and back doors were barricaded.

He said the coroner investigated and one of the deaths is being investigated as a homicide.

'No one could get in or out,' police say

Cattle added they had been dead for over a day and an autopsy is set to occur Friday to determine exactly how they died.

Cattle explained why police aren't looking for suspects and there's no risk to public safety.

"At this time, the way the death has appeared, it was contained in that unit … no one could get in or out and both deceased were found inside," he said.

Cattle wouldn't say if a weapon has been found or if the two people knew each other.

He said police are seeking a search warrant for a unit connected to the one where the people were found dead.

One of the people may have been living in that other unit, he  said. A door with a lock separates the two rooms.

He said police have temporarily identified the two people, but are notifying their families before releasing names to the public.

'It's a shock,' says store owner

Nadia Ishmail owns a boutique across the street and told reporters the apartment building where the killing occurred is a quiet one. So is the neighbourhood.

"This is not a space or an area where we'd expect anything to be drastic like this," she said.

"It's a shock."

Police are also looking for witnesses and any surveillance footage.

This is the city's seventh homicide of the year.