A Toronto man listed as one of the 25 most wanted individuals in Canada has been arrested in the United Kingdom (UK), the Toronto Police Service (TPS) confirmed Monday.
A spokesperson for TPS told CTV News Toronto that Usman Kassim was arrested in Manchester in early October and remains in custody there.
Kassim, 39, has been identified as the main suspect in a 2020 North York drive-by shooting and in a 2021 incident in which a woman had a gun held to her head in a parking lot.
On April 1, 2020, police responded to reports of gunshots in the area of Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue East.
Police say a man in a Grey Dodge Durango fired at a couple, narrowly missing them. The shooter immediately fled the scene, police say.
More than a year later, on Oct. 25, 2021, TPS responded to a 911 call made just after 3:30 a.m. in the same area of North York.
A man in a White Dodge Charger approached a woman in an underground parking garage while holding a pistol. Investigators allege he threatened her while holding the gun to her head.
As officers arrived on scene, the man escaped, ramming into a police car before fleeing the scene.
Kassim was wanted by TPS for several charges, including but not limited to two counts of attempted murder, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and discharging a firearm with intent.
“We are in communication with police in Manchester about this individual, but cannot provide more details on those discussions at this time,” Caroline de Kloet of TPS said Monday.
“More information will be released once this individual is in Toronto Police custody.”
Kassim was recently listed as one of the 25 most wanted men in Canada by the BOLO program. A $50,000 reward was offered to anyone who could provide information that led to Kassim's arrest.
