Police went to a Brampton, Ont., home in the early morning hours of Dec. 20 after a man was found bleeding from a gunshot wound.
The man had been shot inside the home and died in hospital, police said.
After a brief investigation, police interviewed several people and determined there was no foul play, according to CTV News.
Now, homicide detectives are conducting a full homicide investigation after Peel Regional Police announced Thursday that the man was killed by a handgun.
“We have a man with a firearm who was shot and killed inside a residence,” Detective Const. Shari Schwartz-Maltz told the Canadian news outlet. “The deceased has been identified as a 39-year-old male, but we’re not prepared to release his name at this time.”
Local media outlets have identified the dead man as Jordan Valenti, who was known to police.
Police were called to the scene by a resident concerned about a man with a gun, Schwartz-Maltz said.
Officers then confronted Valenti inside the house, Schwartz-Maltz said. The door was locked, but officers forced their way in and found the 39-year-old dead inside.
Police called for reinforcements as Valenti continued to brandish a gun in the home, Schwartz-Maltz said.
“After some discussion and multiple attempts to talk him out of the residence, the officers again forced entry into the residence and found Mr. Valenti deceased,” Schwartz-Maltz said.
Police are searching for two males who fled the home after the shooting, Schwartz-Maltz said.
If not for the “visibly intoxicated” resident, Valenti wouldn’t have been found by police, Schwartz-Maltz said.
Neighbors in the small neighbourhood where the shooting took place say they’re fearful of their own safety.
“I’m nervous. I’m scared,” Natalie Pidgham said. “Not just because he lives there, but because people around him walk by at all hours of the night.”
Pidgham, an employee at a nearby drug store, said she heard the gunshot and then saw Valenti’s body on the ground.
“I saw the blood on the ground and it looked like he was shot in the head,” she said.