Durham Regional Police arrested four men on July 9, 2026, after searching an Ajax home and seizing loaded handguns, a submachine gun replica, and ammunition. Three of the accused are from Ajax, and two were already under court orders not to have weapons.
The Durham Regional Police Service says its Guns and Gangs Unit had been investigating firearm trafficking in Durham Region. With help from the Tactical Support Unit, officers carried out a search warrant at a house in Ajax. Inside, they found two handguns equipped with overcapacity magazines, a replica MAC-10 firearm, ammunition, and Canadian cash.
The four arrested are Devante Boyce, 21, Darius Hamilton, 21, and Tristan Devounte Mitchell, 22, all from Ajax, along with Quinton Parr, 21, from Toronto. They face a total of 39 charges. Boyce and Hamilton were already on weapons prohibition conditions at the time, meaning they were supposed to be banned from having guns. Boyce is charged with multiple counts, including possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm without a licence (twice), possession of a loaded restricted firearm, and failing to follow a release order. Hamilton faces 10 charges, which include weapons offences, having proceeds of crime over $5,000, and breaking a peace bond. Mitchell is charged with having restricted firearms without a licence, having prohibited devices, and possessing a firearm while banned. Parr is charged with weapons and proceeds of crime offences. All four were held for a bail hearing.
The arrests come as Ajax sees a troubling rise in gun crime. Youth firearm charges in Durham Region jumped from 12 in 2023 to 36 in 2024, and there are already 19 halfway through 2025. Police are building a new Ajax Division at 1401 Harwood Avenue North to cope with growing demand, with completion expected by 2031.
