First-degree murder charges against two 25-year-old men have been dropped due to insufficient evidence.

The suspects were charged in connection with the brazen shooting of 18-year-old Abdikarim Abdikarim in March of 2008.

Abdikarim, 18, was shot to death in the lobby of a Lawrence Heights apartment building while hanging out with a group of friends. Fiver other people were injured.

The alleged gunman was caught on a surveillance camera, shooting a firearm several times. The video was posted on YouTube and was viewed nearly 47,000 times. (Watch the second video on the right to see the footage).

Within a month of the shooting, Owen Anthony Smith and Wendell Damian Cuff were charged in connection with the shooting.

On Thursday, Crown Attorney Joe Callaghn told the court that after reviewing all the available evidence - including the surveillance footage -the evidence wasn't enough to make it through a preliminary inquiry.

The victim's parents were not in court.

John Struthers, Cuff's defense lawyer, says they're grateful to the Crown Attorney for admitting there wasn't enough evidence.

"As the Crown said in court today, there's no evidence that he had any participation, knowledge or anything to do with this case at all," says Struthers

"Well, you're in a situation, where I think in all of these circumstances, there's fear, there's people who live by the code of the road and who are unwilling to cooperate with the police and it's unfortunate that everyone doesn't do what they should," says Struthers.

"But in these circumstances, apparently the Crown has had some great difficulties, and they said so."

The pair were not able to make it to court due to job action being taken by jail guards. They've been in custody for 11 months and are expected to go free later today.

Outside the court, a man who identified himself as a Somali community leader offering support to the family says he feels there's no justice.

Barlin Ali, who said she was a family friend of the victim, decried the use of surveillance cameras and questioned their effectiveness as the TTC pushes the use of cameras in vehicles.

"It didn't work with this case - it's never going to work," she told reporters Tuesday morning.