Hamilton police are looking for a shooter and four other men after a 20-year-old Toronto resident was gunned down in downtown Hamilton on Thursday night

Neighbours are saying the home where Nathan Miller was killed was well-known for its late-night parties and suspected drug activity.

Police say five men forced their way into the home just after 9:30 p.m. Thursday and four shots were fired. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police had the home at 28 Madison Ave. blocked off Friday and officers were going door-to-door in the neighbourhood of Sanford Avenue and Cannon Street trying to learn more about what they are saying was a home invasion and killing.

Police are looking for a black man 20 to 25 years old who they say pulled the trigger. He is described as about 6-foot tall with a stocky build. He was wearing a black jacket.

The other suspects are described as: a black male, 5-feet-1, 18 to 25 years old, with his hair in braids; a blackmale, light skinned, 6-feet-5; a black male, 6-feet-5 with acne on his face and a male short in stature wearing a hoodie, whom police did not describe further.

Aaron Spafford, who lives across the street from the murder scene, said there was often late-night activity around the home and people coming and going through the back alleyway. He said police calls to the home were common.

Spafford said he was always worried because his son and other neighbourhood kids often played on the street. He wasn't surprised to hear there had been a shooting.

"I'm just glad it happened at night when kids were in bed," said Spafford, who was at home at the time of the shooting but said he didn't hear the gunshots.

Neighbour Joe Plainie, whose home backs onto the same alley, said he often had to chase people away from the back alley at all hours of the night as his two children would complain the noise kept them awake.

He also said police had been on the scene only about a week earlier, keeping a watch on the home.

Charlotte Lane, 45, and her son, Eric, 15, heard shots shortly before police descended on the avenue.

"There were just four consecutive shots," said Eric, who was watching TV at the time. "It was four shots right after the other."

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

He initially believed, however, it was something else and only spoke to his mother when they saw police lights outside at about 10 p.m. His mother also didn't believe they were gunshots at first.

"It was four shots, really fast ones," she said. "I said, 'Was it a car?' My son said, 'No.'"