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Tuesday January 2, 2024
By Joanne Laucius
Police declined to say whether there were multiple shooters or whether shots were fired from a vehicle. Nor will they comment on any arrests or charges expected, “so as not to jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.”
Investigators collect evidence outside the Infinity Convention Centre on Sept. 3, the day after gunshots killed two men and injured six others. PHOTO BY ASHLEY FRASER /Postmedia
Fowsia Hussein was at the Infinity Convention Centre in Ottawa’s south end on the night of Sept. 2, waiting for her favourite part of a Somali wedding.
The guests had eaten. Live music was playing. The bride and bridesmaids were in a dressing room. Soon, the bride would appear in a white dress for the second portion of the celebration. The bridal couple would exchange rings and there would be cake and photos before the newlyweds were ushered outside to a waiting car.
“It’s the best part of the wedding,” Hussein said. “I was sitting at a table. We had just had dinner. The room was nicely decorated. It was beautiful, it was joyful. There were people from overseas from both sides of the family.”
That joy was shattered by a brazen shooting that left two men dead and six others injured and the city shocked. Police later reported that 50 rounds of ammunition had been discharged into the crowd. It could have been much worse, investigators said.
Hussein said she didn’t hear the shots initially because of the music.
“The victims rushed in and we realized what was happening,” said Hussein, who hurried to find her 16-year-old daughter, who was safe in the women’s washroom.
Four days later, police recounted a chaotic scene, with multiple people injured and many trying to flee. Police implored witnesses to come forward and for members of the public to bring forward dash cam or doorbell camera video that might offer clues.
The victims were identified as Toronto-area men: Said Mohamed Ali, 26, who had arrived in Canada only four months previously; and Abdishakur Abdi-Dahir, 29, an engineer. Six other men ranging in age from 22 to 35 had been injured. Their names and places of residence have not been released.
Four months later, police say their request for evidence has yielded some leads, but investigators can’t comment on any arrests or charges expected, “so as not to jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.”
Police believe there are still people who have information that can help. “This is a very complex investigation, with multiple witnesses, many of which are hesitant to come forward and speak to police. This limited co-operation has impeded our progress with the investigation,” police said in a response to questions from this newspaper.
Investigators say the shooting was targeted, but those who were injured or killed were not the targets. Police have declined to say whether there were multiple shooters or whether shots were fired from a vehicle.
“The firearm used was illegal and considered a crime gun,” police said.
There were two weddings at the venue that night. The second wedding, already underway inside the building at the time of the shooting, is not part of the investigation, police said.
“We have interviewed many people, and there are people who were there that night that have not come forward to speak to police. We continue to encourage those people to do so.”
A police officer snaps photos of bullet casings in a parking lot of the Infinity Convention Centre on Sept. 3. Two men were shot to death and six people were wounded there on Sept. 2. Ashley Fraser/Postmedia PHOTO BY ASHLEY FRASER /Postmedia
For many members of the Somali community, unresolved questions about the progress of the investigation have them feeling disappointed and frustrated.
A statement released after the shooting by three leaders of the Somali community called for addressing the underlying causes of violence in Ottawa. “We also acknowledge that many incidents that negatively impacted our community are due to easy access to firearms. Together, we are responsible for addressing these issues and working toward creating a safer environment for everyone.”
Gun violence had claimed the lives of too many men the the Somali community, added the statement, which called for a dedicated cold case homicide unit for the Ottawa Police Service.
“Over the past decade, our community has mourned the loss of 24 Somali Canadians. Unfortunately, a high number of these cases remain unresolved to this day.”
Supt. Jamie Dunlop of the Ottawa Police Service’s serious and organized crime division does not dispute the numbers in the statement or that a disproportionate number of homicides affect the Somali community.
However, Dunlop points out that charges were laid in every homicide case in Ottawa in 2022, and in 10 of14 homicide cases in 2023.
But it takes solid evidence to secure a conviction, Dunlop said.
“Crimes are solved with witnesses. They are solved with forensics. They are solved with interviews.”
As for the idea of a cold case unit, Dunlop said no unsolved case was ever closed by Ottawa police, and they are often revisited. “Would it be nice to have a dedicated squad? Yes, but it’s a resource issue.”
Speaking to reporters before an Ottawa Police Services Board meeting on Oct. 23, Chief Eric Stubbs said, three police members were working full-time on the September shooting file as of Oct. 11.
“I have reached out to the Somali community and I have spoken to some people within the community. We’re trying very hard to solve and resolve this. It’s devastating to the Ottawa community at large, let alone specific communities.”
Abdirizak Mohamud was not at the wedding, but he heard the shots and the sirens while out walking near Sawmill Creek on Sept. 2.
Mohamud is the director of SuradWay Parents’ Association of Ottawa, a non-profit that supports families from Somali and other East African countries. Community leaders have had meetings with victim services and the chief of police and received an update on Nov 19, he said.
“We felt there were some attempts to help our parents and families feel safe. It was a good start,” he said. “They assured us they were looking hard.”
OTTAWA, ON – December 22, 2023 –Abdirizak Mohamud is the director of Suradway Parents, which represents East African families. He is among the leaders in the Somali community who is frustrated that the crime is still unresolved, but wants to move on in constructive ways. PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC /Postmedia
Mohamud is also frustrated and disappointed that the September case remains unresolved, but wants to move forward with initiatives empowering East African families.
One example is Mending a Crack in Sky. A group of Somali mothers in Toronto, many of them trauma survivors, have organized an outreach program to provide immediate support to families affected by gun violence. The program has had a memorandum of understanding with the Toronto Police Services Board since 2019, and it has been extended through 2024.
As it is for many others in the Somali community, the trauma of Sept. 2 remains for Hussein.
“The fear, the cries, the noise,” she said. “We’re a people who like to get together and celebrate. There’s a huge trauma that comes with experiencing something like this. This trauma will linger.”
But Hussein was also tired of being a victim. Victims are left behind, she said.
“Even if someone was charged tomorrow, it would not help with the trauma and it wouldn’t prevent something like this from happening again. There are a lot of historic events that made people fearful in dealing with police,” she said. “We want that to change.”
Hussein said she had no other option but to feel optimistic.
“I have chosen to use my experience to advocate for victims and to advocate for myself and change the future of the city.”
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