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
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.