Belinda Sarkodie: Canadian Police Identify Suspect in Death of Ghanaian Student
- Belinda Sarkodie, a 26-year-old Ghanaian student in Canada, was fatally shot in Hamilton on Friday, July 11, 2025
- A Canadian Police officer has spoken about the incident, sharing details about the shooting and the suspect
- Hamilton police identified the suspect as Mackale Lavoie, a 17-year-old who has been declared wanted for second-degree murder
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Hamilton police have identified the suspect who allegedly shot and killed Ghanaian woman Belinda Sarkodie, in Ontario.
Source: Twitter
The Ghanaian woman was killed on Friday, July 11, 2025, while standing with a friend at the intersection of King Street East and James Street North.
An arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect, Mackale Lavoie, who is wanted for second-degree murder and on two counts of attempted murder.
The Twitter post with the information on the suspect is below.
Canadian Police speak on shooting of Ghanaian
A Canadian police officer has shared more information about the shooting of Belinda Sarkodie.
The police officer narrated the events that led up to the tragic killing of Sarkodie, 26, who was a student in Hamilton.
He also opened up about the suspect in the case, who fled the scene and remains at large.
“Shortly before 05:30 PM, police responded to reports of gunshots in the area of King and James Street. Police arrived en masse, and we located two victims. One female who was deceased on scene, one male who was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” the police officer said.
He added that the suspect was a white male who fled northbound on James Street after the shooting.
The officer appealed to residents of the area to provide information from their ring cameras to aid in the investigation.
“We're currently appealing to our community, if they have any video from between 05:00 and 06:00, if they could share it with the police, we'd be greatly appreciative."
The Instagram video of the police officer speaking is below.
Ghanaian student Belinda Sarkodie shot in Canada
Sarkodie was a former graduate of the University of Cape Coast who travelled to Canada in 2024 to pursue her education.
She was standing at the intersection of King Street East and James Street North when she was fatally shot.
Source: Instagram
Hamilton police believe she was an innocent bystander who got caught in the crossfire and that the other male victim was the intended target of the shooting.
A Ghanaian eyewitness of the shooting who was at the bus stop shared an emotional account of the incident online.
“Belinda was just 26 years old. She moved to Canada to pursue her education and build a future. It was my day off, and I was on my way to shop when I saw her going about her errands. I never imagined it would turn into a day of such unimaginable grief,” she recounted.
Her death has left the Ghanaian diaspora and student communities in deep mourning over the loss of a young and vibrant personality.
The Facebook post of the Ghanaian community is below.
Ghanaian Alfred Okyere killed in Canada
Previously, YEN.com.gh reported that a Ghanaian man in Canada, Alfred Okyere, was killed in Saskatoon.
Okyere was reported dead on January 20, 2025, after moving to Canada to stay with his sister to attend school and work.
He was reportedly killed by a work colleague who ambushed him with a knife and stabbed him 17 times.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
