Brothers shot during deadly Hamilton home invasion, kidnapping were trying to help their father: police
Police say two brothers shot during a home invasion and kidnapping in Hamilton early Thursday morning were trying to help their father, who investigators believe was the target of the deadly attack in the city’s Mount Hope neighbourhood.
Shortly before 3 a.m., officers were called to a reported shooting at a home in the area of Glancaster and Dickenson roads.
Two brothers were located at the scene suffering from gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospital for treatment.
One of the victims, who has now been identified by investigators as 21-year-old Hasnain ‘Nano’ Ali, was subsequently pronounced dead.
Their father, 63-year-old Faqir Ali, who police say was abducted and beaten by the assailants, was found hours later on Beach Boulevard, where he had been dumped by his captors.
Police say he was located thanks to tips from the public, who notified police of Ali’s whereabouts.
“People were able to witness Mr. Ali in the area of Beach Boulevard and we rushed right to it,” Det.-Sgt. Steve Bereziuk told reporters at a news conference on Friday morning.
Ali was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and police now say he and his surviving son, who is not being named by investigators, are in stable condition.
Bereziuk said police are “quite confident” Faqir Ali was the target of the attack but investigators are still not clear on the motive.
“I can tell you that it appears to us at this point in time that his sons were trying to help him and unfortunately they were shot,” Bereziuk said Friday.
“We need to figure out what the motive is if we can but at this point I don't have that…This family is not known to Hamilton police.”
Ali’s wife and daughter, who were inside the residence at the time of the home invasion, were not injured.
“I won’t get into what they did or didn't see,” Bereziuk said, adding that police will not be releasing any specific details about what went on inside the home.
He said Ali was not able to say much to investigators when he was located and police have not yet had a chance to interview him.
“His recovery is paramount and when he is able to talk to us, we are certainly going to approach him,” Bereziuk said.
No arrests have been made but police have recovered two black SUVs believed to be involved in the incident.
Investigators say one of the vehicles, a 2015 black Ford Edge SUV, was found at around 9 a.m. on Beach Boulevard, around the same time officers located Ali.
“We are going to forensically examine the vehicles that were recovered,” Bereziuk added.
Investigators are asking for anyone with security footage or dash cam video in the area of Beach Boulevard between 4:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Thursday to contact Hamilton police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Police say they are searching for three suspects wanted in connection with the homicide and kidnapping but only limited descriptions were provided by investigators for two of the three suspects.
Police say one of the suspects is described as a Black male, who is about six-feet tall, has a thin build and dark skin and was seen wearing a dark top and dark pants.
Another suspect is described by investigators as a Black male who was seen wearing a grey track suit and a wrap on his head.
The suspects were last seen heading down Eastport Drive toward Nikola Tesla Boulevard in a black SUV, which police say was later recovered in Hamilton.
Bereziuk said the Ali family is shocked and devastated by what transpired on Thursday morning.
“I think they are hopeful we can resolve this case but it is something we are going to have to work very hard at,” Bereziuk said.
“We want to find those responsible….They need to be held accountable.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.