Witnesses tight-lipped after Calgary New Year’s party shooting

CALGARY — Family of a Somali man murdered in a New Year’s Day mass shooting have gathered in Calgary, as their plans the grim task of burying one of its own.

Police confirmed the man killed in a fusillade of gunfire at a New Year’s house party is Abdullahi Ahmed, 26.

He moved to Calgary from Toronto about six years ago and now the young man’s mother has flown across the country from that city to grieve for her son with others from the family.

Calgary Somali Imam Abdi Hersi called the mother and the rest of Ahmed’s family strong in the face of tragedy.

“They’re holding up,” Hersi said. “They have to.

“They don’t have a choice.”

Community elders are readying for a funeral as soon as an autopsy is conducted and Ahmed’s body is released back to his family.

Meanwhile, solving the deadly New Year’s Day mass shooting is being stymied by a lack of helpful witnesses, police said Friday.

Police have spoken to fewer than half the 50-60 people who the party where the shooting took place, and it hasn’t garnered much useful information, Insp. Ryan Ayliffe said.

“We don’t have a clear picture of what went on,” he said. “The ones we have spoken to haven’t been very co-operative.”

Six other people, including one man in a vehicle outside the house, were also shot and injured, none of them life-threateningly.

“One or more offenders were in the party when the shooting started,” Ayliffe said.

“When something like that starts, there’s confusion — some were trying to leave the residence when they were shot.”

Ayliffe said it’s possible some of those partygoers, are afraid to come forward but urged them to overcome their fear.

“We know you’re probably scared, but we can help,” he said, adding witnesses can contact police anonymously.

“We don’t have a motive,” said Ayliffe. Police also don’t have any suspects.

Exactly what happened is something Hersi said the Somali community is also at a loss to answer. He said there is only speculation at this point, but some Calgary Somali’s feel it was a targeted incident.

“Some bad guys came at the end of the party and they came there with that intent, as far as we consider,” Hersi said.

“But we don’t know exactly what happened.”

Hersi said the local Somali community is saddened and shocked by the death of another of their own.

He confirmed the man killed less than 24 hours later in a Rosedale shooting is also a member of the Somali community.

He said there’s “a disconnect” between the Somali community and Canadian society, and pleaded for the co-operation of other community leaders in coming up with a plan moving forward.

Ayliffe wouldn’t say if the slain man was known to police, but court records show Ahmed had a rap sheet for drug possession and assault.

torontosun.com