A Violence-Prone Community in Somali-Canadians

"It's the best part of the wedding. I was sitting at a table. We had just had dinner. The room was nicely decorated. It was beautiful, it was joyful. There were people from overseas from both sides of the family."

"The victims rushed in and we realized what was happening."

"The fear, the cries, the noise. We're a people who like to get together and celebrate. There's a huge trauma that comes with experiencing something like this."

"This trauma will linger."

"Even if someone was charged tomorrow, it would not help with the trauma and it wouldn't prevent something like this from happening again. There are a lot of historic events that made people fearful in dealing with police. We want that to change."

"I have chosen to use my experience to advocate for victims and to advocate for myself and change the future of the city."

Fowsia Hussain, Somalian-Canadian, Ottawa, Ontario

 

"We ... acknowledge that many incidents that negatively impacted our community are due to easy access to firearms. Together, we are responsible for addressing these issues and working toward creating a safer environment for everyone."

"Over the past decade, our community has mourned the loss of 24 Somali Canadians. Unfortunately, a high number of these cases remain unresolved to this day."

Somali community leaders' statement

 

"Crimes are solved with witnesses. They are solved with forensics. They are solved with interviews."

"Would it be nice to have a dedicated squad [working only on issues of violence from within the Somali community]?"

"Yes, but it's a resource issue."

Superintendent Jamie Dunlop, Ottawa Police Service organized crime division

 

"I have reached out to the Somali community and I have spoken to some people within the community. We're trying very hard to solve and resolve this."

"It's devastating to the Ottawa community at large, let alone specific communities."

Ottawa Police Services Chief of Police Eric Stubbs

An Ottawa Police Service officer walks outside the Infinity Convention Centre one day after the Sept. 2 shooting that left two men dead and six others injured. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

When crimes are committed in Ottawa, invariably the names of perpetrators belonging to the Somali-Canadian community appear disproportionate to their numbers as residents of the capital city. Those who are involved in drug operations, in gangs, and in revenge killings. On September 2, a wedding was taking place at the Infinity Convention Centre in the south end of Ottawa. The wedding ceremony was over, dinner had been served, the attendees were awaiting the appearance of the bride in white as the celebration progressed. 

Suddenly pandemonium ensued as someone still unidentified entered who disrupted the proceedings. Two men were shot dead, six others injured. The police investigation revealed that 50 rounds of ammunition had been discharged into the crowded venue. The wonder was, investigators mused, that more people hadn't been injured or killed. Four days following the event where police had earlier arrived on a scene of chaos, multiple people injured and the bulk of those present still trying to flee the area, they implored witnesses to reveal what they might know of the violent event.

Appeals were even given for members of the public who might have dash cam or doorbell camera videos to help with clues to further the investigation. Two Toronto-area men, Said Mohamed Ali, 26, who had been in Canada for four months, and Abdishakur Abdi-Dahir, 29, an engineer by profession, were identified as the men who lost their lives that evening. Another six men, aged between 22 to 35 had been injured in the violent melee. 

Police now, four months after the event, reveal that while some leads have resulted from their appeal for evidence from witnesses, they cannot comment on whether any charges or arrests can be expected "so as not to jeopardize the integrity of the investigation". They continue to believe people can still come forward with information that can be useful to them. Investigators know that the shooting was a targeted event; however, those injured or shot to death were not the intended targets.

Unknown, because the police have not yet revealed details, is whether multiple shooters were involved, or whether shooting emanated from a vehicle. Members of the Somali community state that unresolved questions regarding the investigation's progress has left them with feelings of disappointment and frustration, yet few are willing to come forward and relay to investigators what they themselves know. The community leaders call for a dedicated cold case homicide unit operational from within the Ottawa Police Service.

"This is a very complex investigation, with multiple witnesses, many of whom are hesitant to come forward and speak to police. This limited cooperation has impeded our progress with the investigation."

"The firearm used was illegal and considered a crime gun."

"We have interviewed many people, and there are people who were there that night that have not come forward to speak to police."

"We continue to encourage those people to do so."

Ottawa Police Services statement

Farah Aw-Osman said it's a 'piece of crap' to claim that members of the Somali community aren't coming forward. (CBC)