Police say two suspects are in custody and two others are still at large in connection with an investigation into the “senseless” murder of a 24-year-old man in Scarborough’s Chester Le neighbourhood this past April.
In the early morning hours of April 15, 24-year-old Samatar Farah was standing outside his home in the area of Chester Le Boulevard when police say he was approached and shot by two suspects.
Farah’s body was found several hours later at 8 a.m. by a resident walking through the parking lot of the building where Farah lived.
While investigating the murder, homicide detectives say they found links to a shooting on the same block two days earlier, where three men were shot at by two suspects.
“It is alleged that these shootings are a result of an ongoing feud between persons residing in the Parma Court housing complex and those residing in the Chester Le neighbourhood,” Homicide Detective Jason Shankaran said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon.
Shankaran added that the two suspects who have been arrested and the two that are still outstanding all have ties to the Parma Court housing complex.
Farah was not previously known to police and investigators confirmed that they do not believe he was specifically targeted.
In a statement released Thursday, Farah’s sister called her brother “one of the good ones.”
“Samatar was 15 days into his 24th birthday and months from his graduation. He was loved by so many for his genuine and kind-hearted nature. He was a devoted son, brother, uncle, friend and partner,” the statement read.
Shankaran called Farah’s murder “senseless” and “pointless.”
“The community of Chester Le Boulevard was targeted by these individuals who came in from Parma Court seeking to exact some kind of vengeance for some perceived slight,” Shankaran said.
The detective added that CCTV footage from the Toronto Community Housing Corporation played a big role in identifying suspects in the case.
On Thursday morning, Taufiq Stanley, 20, and Trevor Barnett, 25, were arrested in connection with the investigation after 11 criminal code search warrants were executed by police in Ottawa and Toronto.
Stanley is facing nine charges, including first-degree murder, possession of a loaded firearm and unauthorized possession of a weapon.
Barnett is facing three counts of attempted murder in connection with the shooting on April 13.
Arrest warrants have been issued for Alexander Fountain, who is wanted on three counts of attempted murder and one count of first-degree murder, and Shaquan McLean, 23, who is wanted for three counts of attempted murder.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the outstanding suspects are asked to contact investigators.
