Mohamed Najdi dead after targeted shooting Sunday night, police say
CBC News | Posted: January 11, 2016 11:33 AM | Last Updated: January 11, 2016
Area resident says she heard bangs, then man screaming he'd been shot
A 28-year-old man is dead after what police describe as a targeted, gang-related shooting on Sunday night.
Officers and paramedics were called to the 100 block of Claremont Drive, near St. Laurent Boulevard and Hemlock Road, at about 10:40 p.m.
The 28-year-old who had been shot was found in an outdoor courtyard and was taken to The Ottawa Hospital's General campus trauma unit in critical condition. He later died from his injuries.
He has been identified by police as Mohamed Najdi, who had a criminal record and was a known gang member, police sources told CBC News.
He was also a witness in the 2015 shooting death of Sharif Said, the sources said.
Najdi's death is Ottawa's first homicide of 2016 and fourth shooting of 2016. The Ottawa police major crimes unit is investigating and no arrests have yet been made.
'There was a man screaming'
A woman who lives nearby and didn't want her name used because of safety concerns told CBC News she heard the shooting on Sunday night.
"I heard a couple of shots and then I checked my backyard, there was a man screaming that he was shot in the back," she said.
"One of my neighbours was on the phone with 911, she stayed with him until the cops and police showed up. When the paramedics came they were starting to do CPR on him, they took him, then the whole neighbourhood was just flooded with cops."
Trevor Belanger and Caitlin Lee were walking in the area not long after the shots were fired and watched as neighbours, police and paramedics tried to help the victim.
"I was just highly disturbed, because I've never seen anything like that before ... and my main concern was his parents, how they're going to feel about all this," Lee said.
Area not known for violent crime
Many people who live in the area, which includes a housing co-op, say there's the occasional fight or minor disturbance there but they don't consider it to be a high-crime area or gang territory.
"We all get along most the the time, I would never assume anything like that would happen — especially here because we've lived [here] for like our whole life… it's kind of a shock," said Tamika Brathwaite.
London Terrace was closed Monday to vehicles and pedestrians between Hemlock Road and Georgeton Private, bordering London Terrace Park.
Najdi's last known address was in the 300 block of Prince Albert Street in Overbrook.
Police sources told CBC they've investigating whether shots fired at a home in the 300 block of Prince Albert Street on Jan. 5 may be related to Najdi's death.
No one was injured in the Jan. 5 incident, which police said in a news release was believed to be gang-related.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477.