A police presence continues early Friday morning in an east end neighbourhood after a seven-year-old boy was shot inside what’s believed to be his east-end home Thursday evening.

The shooting occurred shortly before 8 p.m. at a home on Gordon Street, north of Barton Street near Gage Avenue. Police say they will be in the area much of the morning to continue their investigation.

Deputy police chief Frank Bergen told reporters on the scene that the boy was inside the home on the main floor at the time of the shooting, but the shot came from outside. Bergen said he believed the boy lived at the residence.

Police confirmed Friday morning that he was in stable condition.

“This is unacceptable,” Bergen said, noting police got the call at 7:53 p.m. and were on the scene within two minutes. “Guns do not belong on our streets.

“This is when our community has to stop and understand what’s happening with the proliferation of guns on the street,” Bergen added.

Bergen would not say how many shots were fired. He also said police do not have anyone in custody, nor do they have a clear suspect description yet, but they have “all layers of the organization” involved in the investigation.

“Guns and gangs is one of the units involved in this investigation,” Bergen said.

A canine unit was also called out for a neighbourhood search and interviews were being conducted at the east-end police station.

Bergen said it was too early to know if the house was targeted or not and he would not confirm if it was a drive-by shooting.

Bergen said the boy was in stable condition with family at the hospital. He appealed to the public for help with any information.

He noted that this was the third shooting of the year, but the first with a victim. Last year there were 47 shooting incidents in Hamilton.

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“This is when the public needs to come together, if you see something, say something,” Bergen said. “We understand there is vehicle information that’s out there.”

Hamilton Paramedic Service superintendent Dave Thompson said when paramedics first transported the boy to hospital he was believed to be in serious condition, but has since stabilized.

There was a heavy police presence in the area Thursday night, with more than a dozen police vehicles lining Gordon St., Barton St., Cavell Ave. and Lincoln St.

For about an hour until 9:15 p.m., all traffic was blocked on Barton St. between Cavell Ave. and Lincoln St. Residents in the area weren’t permitted to return to their homes until nearly 10 p.m.