Toronto rapper Top5 wanted for murder returns to the city in police custody

Toronto rapper Top5, who declared his innocence and promoted a new album over social media while on the run to Los Angeles, has been released to Canada by American authorities.

Toronto police confirmed investigators from the city’s homicide squad returned Hassan Abdibarik Ali to Toronto, where he is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Hashim Omar Hashi.

Court documents filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California say that Hassan Abdibarik Ali, identified as “A fugitive from the Government of Canada,” signed an affidavit of consent to an extradition on Dec. 9, 2021.

The court confirmed that he was competent to consent and was adequately represented by a lawyer and that his consent was “knowingly and voluntarily given” on Dec. 21.

On Thursday, “The United States Marshals Service surrendered Ali to authorities of Canada, pursuant to the Extradition Treaty between the United States and Canada,” the document says.

In the American proceeding, U.S. authorities said Ali is a member of the “Go Getem Gang” and said that explains his alleged involvement in the shooting death of an innocent man, 20-year-old Hashim Omar Hashi, an accounting student gunned down outside his parking lot in January 2021.

The filing alleges Hashi was mistaken for the person the shooters believed was the killer of Ali’s brother, Said Ali, known as “Foolish.”

“Ali subsequently discussed killing people in retaliation for his brother’s death on social media posts, including one less than three days before the murder,” the filing says, adding that Ali is not suspected of being the shooter, but being a passenger in the same vehicle.

Ali's social media presence was an issue for a court which originally granted him bail, on the condition that he did not directly use Instagram.

However, Ali was seen on Instagram promoting his music, and saying he wasn't involved in the murder.

"The only run I know is the treadmill," Ali responded with a chuckle last year. "I didn't do sh*t. Save that for god."

Ali is scheduled for a Toronto court appearance Friday morning. It’s not clear if he has a lawyer. Nothing about Ali’s involvement has been proven in court.