Ottawa police are investigating a shooting Saturday night that left two men dead and injured six people who were attending a wedding reception in the city’s south end.

Acting Duty Insp. Amy Bond said police responded to reported shots at about 10:21 p.m. Saturday. She said victims were attending the reception at a convention centre on the 2900 block of Gibford Drive, off Hunt Club Road near the Ottawa International Airport.

Four hours after the reported shots, police stated there were no further threats to public safety.

No arrests had been made by Sunday morning and no suspect description was available, Bond said. 

“This violence is tragic. It’s unacceptable,” Bond said. “It’s disturbing for our entire community.”

Ottawa paramedic spokesman Marc-Antoine Deschamps said the six injured patients were not in life-threatening condition.

The investigation is in its early stages and there is no information so far to indicate whether there was “any specific community targeted,” Bond said, adding police currently have no information to suggest the shooting should be investigated as a hate crime.

“There is no evidence this was a hate-motivated shooting,” police added on social media. 

A company representative for Infinity Convention Centre, located at 2901 Gibford Dr., directed all questions to police.

Men who died were not from Ottawa

Police are withholding the identities of the two men who died in the shooting until their family can be notified. They say neither victim was a resident of Ottawa.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley, who represents the area, called the news “terrible.”

“This has no place in our community,” she said. “There is no tolerance for this kind of violence, and I hope that those involved and those who may know something share with police. And that we are able to solve this quickly.”

The homicides are the 11th and 12th that police have reported this year.

Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact their homicide unit at 613-236-1222 x 5493. They are specifically asking for information from anyone with cell phone, dash cam or security video of the area from between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

“If there is any information and evidence that you can provide, please bring it forward because that really does assist us,” said Bond.