The call came in about a weapons incident, and within hours, the quiet community of **Port Colborne** was shaken to its core with the news that one of their own, **42-year-old Mark Pero**, was gone. Niagara Regional Police confirmed late Wednesday that Pero had been killed in what is now being investigated as a **homicide The suspect, **27-year-old Brady Neff**, also from Port Colborne, was arrested after an extensive police search that led to a tense lockdown of nearby homes and schools.
He now faces a long list of charges — including **second-degree murder, domestic assault, uttering threats, choking, pointing a firearm,** and **possession of a firearm**. Authorities say the range and severity of these charges point to a troubling pattern of escalating violence that may have been unfolding long before Wednesday’s tragic outcome.Officers first responded to a weapons complaint earlier in the day, prompting a citywide alert urging residents
to remain indoors while heavily armed tactical units scoured the area. Hours later, the lockdown was lifted, and police confirmed that the situation had ended in tragedy.Investigators have since said that the victim and suspect knew each other, suggesting the incident was not random. Forensic teams remained on the scene well into the night, gathering evidence to piece together the events leading to Pero’s death.
As word spread, the Port Colborne community was left reeling. Friends and neighbors described Mark as a friendly, hard-working man with deep local roots — someone who always had time for others. “He didn’t deserve this,” one longtime friend said quietly.Now, as Neff awaits his court appearance and investigators continue their work, a grieving town is left searching for understanding — and mourning a life cut short by senseless, preventable violence.
