The mother of a man shot dead in Toronto’s Somali community last week forgave her son’s killer and urged a suspect in the case to come forward to police.
“I would like to speak to his murderers direct. I offer you forgiveness but want you to surrender yourself to police,” said Warsame Ali’s mother, Habiba Adan, during a press conference on Friday. “It is the only way you can clear your conscience.”
Toronto police said Warsame and Suleiman Ali, no relation, were intended targets when they were gunned down in the Jamestown area in the early morning hours of September 18. However, investigators have yet to establish a motive.
“The location of this event is densely populated,” said Homicide Det. Joyce Schertzer. “The weather that night was mild and local residents had their windows open. We’re asking the members of the community to please come forward.”
Schertzer said Warsame and Suleiman, both 26 years old, were out with three other men before they were shot. Police are asking those men to come forward.
“We have not been able to establish why Suleiman or Warsame were in the Jamestown location. Neither of them resides there,” said Schertzer.
The victims were found suffering from gunshot wounds in an alley behind a townhouse complex on Jamestown Crescent, near Kipling Avenue and Albion Road. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators are also searching for items of clothing the men were wearing earlier in the evening.
One article of clothing is a light-blue, three-quarter-length T−shirt with an Air Jordan logo on the upper left chest and two white stripes on the left arm.
The second piece of clothing is a hooded sweatshirt with the word “VANS” across the chest.
Police are searching for a suspect described as a black male around 5’10” tall. He was last seen fleeing the scene on foot while wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact police at 416−808−2300 or 416−808−7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), or online at www.222tips.com.
