2 men charged in separate suspected firearm incidents in Hamilton just hours apart

Hamilton police have charged after two separate incidents involving suspected firearms just hours apart in the city on Wednesday.

Police say they were first called to a business at Jackson Square around 3:15 p.m. for a reported theft where the suspect was allegedly seen carrying a firearm.

A search led to the suspect being arrested at the intersection of Main Street and Hughson Street where officers determined the firearm to be a pellet gun.

Twenty-five-year-old Nickolas Renato Reda faces five charges in connection with the incident, including carrying a concealed weapon and two counts of failure to comply with probation.

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Shortly after around 6 p.m., police were called to a motel near King Street East and Wentworth Street after it was reported that an individual had been struck in the face with a firearm.

Detectives say the suspect was apprehended through a gunpoint arrest after he was found walking near King Street and Emerald Street.

A subsequent search led to the recovery of a pellet gun and a butterfly knife in his possession.

Christopher Macleod, 37, faces four charges in connection with the second incident.

Both men had their bail opposed and will be expected to attend court.

Hamilton police have issued a reminder in the wake of these incidents that all weapons calls will be treated as if lethal weapons are involved until a thorough investigation determines otherwise due to the difficulty of differentiating real versus replica weapons.

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