Police lay manslaughter, aggravated assault charges in highrise death
CBC News | Posted: May 18, 2017 2:48 PM | Last Updated: May 18, 2017
Homicide victim fell 16 storeys from MacLaren Street apartment building Monday evening
Ottawa police have charged a 29-year-old man in connection with the death of 19-year-old Ahmad Afrah, who fell to his death from a highrise building on MacLaren Street earlier this week.
Liban Gure is facing one count of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. Police are investigating Afrah's death as the city's third homicide of the year.
On Wednesday, a grief-stricken Ali Afrah told CBC News he was in disbelief about what had happened to his older brother.
"I thought it was just a dream," said Ali, who does not know Gure.
His brother's body was found on the ground below 415 MacLaren St. on Monday just before 11 p.m. after police received a 911 call.
Gure has prior convictions for theft, unlawful possession of a credit card, and unlawful obstruction of a police officer from 2016 and a theft conviction from 2014, according to court records.
"It appeared he had fallen or jumped off the building ... and now we're in the process of a homicide investigation," Ottawa police spokesman Const. Marc Soucy said.
Ahmad Afrah lived with his family in an apartment complex just a few streets away from where his body was discovered. According to family, his funeral will be held Friday.