The 'quiet little village' of Victoria Harbour in northern Simcoe County was rocked by a shooting, Thursday afternoon.
Amid the rain Friday, uniformed and plainclothes police officers remained on the scene in Victoria Harbour, where a man was shot outside his Maple Street home on Aug. 17 at approximately 2 p.m.
While police have remained tight-lipped about the incident, social media posts indicate the man who was shot is Jamie Miller, who owns Bubba's Pizza in Victoria Harbour at the corner of Park and Maple streets.
A post from Ava Miller said: "Bubba’s Pizza is open, let’s come together and show our community support to Jamie and family."
Tyler Duhamel posted yesterday: "Everyone that knows Jamie Miller please pray for him. He is in critical condition."
Neighbour Ernie Millward said he heard multiple shots yesterday afternoon.
"I never thought it would be a shooting here in our quiet little village, but it was," said Millward.
Millward said he pays attention to the news and is aware of the shooting and subsequent death of Jesse Deschamps behind the Village Square Mall in Penetanguishene on July 27.
Millward said he also "remembers" the shooting and death of Jonas Palmer in July 2021 in Victoria Harbour.
And, it's the second shooting on Maple Street this summer. On July, 1 a man was shot repeatedly at a home, also close to Park Street.
Millward said he had always felt safe in Victoria Harbour until this shooting. "It's scary," he said.
A Victoria Harbour woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the shooting "shocked me because it's such a nice town. It's an eye-opener. I locked my doors last night," she said.
"It's sad to hear," she added.
Waubaushene resident Brian Thomas said the rash of shootings hits close to home.
"And now it's here. It's everywhere I guess. There's less here than other places because there is less people. I feel way safer here than Toronto," he said.
Miller was transported by Ornge air ambulance to a Toronto trauma centre with life-threatening injuries, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
No arrests have been made in any of the four shootings.
Investigators say they believe this week's shooting is an isolated incident and there is no immediate threat to public safety. Members of the public should always be aware of their surroundings and personal safety, police noted in a media release.
Investigators are seeking the assistance of the public to identify a vehicle of interest and its occupant(s), that was observed leaving the scene Thursday afternoon. It is described as a black four-door sedan. The suspect(s) may still be armed. If you see a suspicious person or vehicle that may be linked to this incident, call 9-1-1 and do not approach, urge police.
The investigation is being conducted by the Southern Georgian Bay OPP Major Crime Unit under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch and with the assistance of the OPP Forensic Identification Services.
Anyone who may have surveillance or dash-cam video, or any information in relation to this investigation, is asked to contact the Southern Georgian Bay OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or opp.southern.georgian.bay@opp.
Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or ontariocrimestoppers.ca. Follow Crime Stoppers of Simcoe Dufferin Muskoka on Twitter or Facebook and by visiting www.crimestopperssdm.com.
Sharon Wilson, a contributor to the Facebook page, Rural Tay Township Community Connection, has posted that Team Bubba T-shirts are for sale for $20, with $10 from each sale going to the Miller family. Anyone interested should email and e-transfer funds to [email protected].
