Shooting victim targeted inside Russell Road apartment

UPDATE:  On Feb. 16, 2023, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the acquittals of Mohamed Mohamed and Nedeljko Borozan in the shooting death of Mohamed Najdi in 2016. 

A one-time self-described crack dealer — who shot the brother of the man he believes killed his own brother — was critically injured Tuesday morning when he was the victim of gunfire inside an Ottawa apartment, CBC News has learned.

Hussein Najdi, 30, was shot in the arm and stomach inside an apartment at 2080 Russell Rd., an Ottawa Community Housing building near the Elmvale Acres mall, shortly before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Police and paramedics arrived to find Najdi in the lobby of the building. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, underwent surgery and then was listed as stable.

Najdi was charged with attempted murder and firearms offences in April 2019 for shooting the older brother of the man police charged as the triggerman in Najdi's brother's fatal shooting in January 2016.

That shooting was an effort to exact revenge for his brother's death, police charged. Najdi pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for the shooting and was sentenced to two years of time served and probation.

In November 2018, Mohamed "Shadow" Mohamed and Nedeljko "Boz" Borozan were both acquitted by a jury of first-degree murder in Najdi's brother's homicide.

Prosecutors contended that both men were part of a seven-man gangland plot to ambush and kidnap Najdi's brother for a $40,000 ransom. Mohamed Najdi was shot twice in the back while running from his captors.

Four others — Alaa Asiri, Mohamud Yusuf, Ali Elenezi and Lual Lual — pleaded guilty to manslaughter for their roles in the killing. The seventh accused, Brian Aikman, had his charge of manslaughter withdrawn.

Hussein Najdi testified at the 2018 trial he began selling crack cocaine to impress his older brother Mohamed, but that he stopped dealing after his brother, known as "Magic", was killed.

The night of his brother's death, Hussein Najdi testified in court, he felt uneasy knowing police were investigating a shooting in the city's east end and having not heard from his brother for hours. 

Ottawa police do not believe Najdi's shooting on Tuesday is related to the fallout from the murder acquittals. After those verdicts, police anticipated gangland retaliation and instability on the streets in the city's drug trade. 

Police have made no arrests in Hussein Najdi's shooting. The guns and gangs unit continues to investigate.