Toronto rapper wanted for murder may have travelled to Western Canada, police say
Toronto Police Services (TPS) are requesting the public’s assistance for a second time with locating a man wanted in connection with the January 2021 murder of Hashim Omar Hashi.
Just before 9 p.m. on Jan. 31, TPS responded to reports of gunfire in the Jane Street and Falstaff Avenue area in Toronto.
It is alleged that a man attempting to drive his car into the garage of an apartment building at 40 Falstaff Avenue was shot at numerous times. TPS located an unresponsive victim, now identified as Hashim Omar Hashi, 20, in the driver's seat, suffering from gunshot wounds, pronouncing him deceased at the scene.
Additionally, it has been alleged that the suspect vehicle, which was observed fleeing the scene eastbound on Falstaff Avenue, was located fully engulfed in flames at Earl Bales Park.
Hassan Ali, 22, of Toronto, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of failing to comply with recognizance.
He was originally charged with accessory after the fact to murder, but the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder in May 2021.
Ali, a local rapper, is also known under his stage name, Top5. Top5’s social media accounts have remained active while under warrant.
On June 20, in a story posted to Top5’s Instagram account, Ali tagged Vaughan, Ontario as his location.
However, Toronto Police Services has reason to believe that Ali has travelled to Western Canada, according to a news release on the investigation.
“Investigators believe he has travelled to Kelowna and Calgary and are urging anyone with information to contact police,” TPS said.
“No matter how insignificant the information may seem, all tips are important and could be key to the investigation.”
TPS believe Ali to be violent and dangerous and ask that anyone who locates him call 911 immediately, rather than approach him.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.