Toronto police have now charged a suspect who was arrested in Los Angeles last year in connection with a shooting that killed a young man outside of his North York apartment building.
On the evening of Jan. 31, 2021, 20-year-old Hashim Omar Hashi returned home from dinner and was attempting to enter his apartment building’s underground parking garage at 40 Falstaff Avenue, near Jane Street and Highway 401.
A suspect vehicle then approached Hashi from behind and a gunman rushed from the front passenger side towards Hashi’s vehicle and shot him multiple times, police said.
The suspect ran back into the vehicle and it fled the scene.
Police said Hashi was found with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The suspect vehicle was found about four hours after the shooting burning in Earl Bales Park, roughly 10 kilometres away from the scene, according to police.
Shortly after the incident, police said Hashi had no gang affiliation and was a part-time accounting student.
“Mr. Hashi was not involved in any gang activity nor was he involved in any gang affiliation. Mr. Hashi was a student studying accounting and worked part-time at the airport. He had a promising future and he was a very well-respected young man,” Det. Sgt. Ted Lioumanis told reporters.
About two weeks after the shooting, Toronto police arrested two people in connection with the killing.
Emmanuel Missah, 24, of Toronto, was arrested on Feb. 12, 2021 and is facing charges of accessory after the fact to murder and failing to comply with recognizance.
Toronto rapper Hassan Abdibarik Ali, also known by the stage name Top5, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to murder and failing to comply with probation after he was arrested in Windsor on Feb.13, 2021.
On May 20, 2021, police said that they had upgraded charges against Ali to first-degree murder, and issued a warrant for his arrest after investigators were having trouble locating him while he was out on bail.
Ali was subsequently arrested by police in Los Angeles on a provisional American arrest warrant on Oct. 7, 2021, police said.
According to unsealed documents from a U.S. extradition hearing, Ali is a member of the “Go Getem Gang” and organized a revenge hit to kill his brother’s murderer, but mistakenly thought Hashi was the target.
Hashi was murdered “because he happened to live in the rival gang’s turf," the documents said.
The allegations have not yet been tested in court.
Ali’s social media accounts had remained active since the killing, which U.S. authorities said helped them track down his whereabouts.
Ali was returned to Toronto police custody on Feb. 17, 2022 and on Friday, police announced that he has formally been charged in connection with the homicide.
Ali is set to appear in court today.
Police are asking anyone with further information to contact police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
-With files from CP24's Joshua Freeman and CTV News Toronto's Jon Woodward
