The Fulton Place Double Murder took place on September 2nd, 2007.
Farhan Hassan, 27, and Kasim Mohamed, 28, were Edmonton's twenty-first and twenty-second homicide victims of the year. Hassan was also known as Osman Mohamud.
Case status remains open and active.
witnesses describe shooting |
investigation goes south
Somali community reacts |
community halls and late-night events
reward offered
At about 5:15 a.m. Sunday, September 2nd, 2007, police and emergency medical services were called to a report of shots fired at the Fulton Place Community League Hall, 6115 Fulton Road.
Two men in their twenties were found suffering gunshot wounds. One was pronounced dead at the scene with what was described as "a significant injury to his head."
The other man, also suffering a wound to the head in addition to a wound on the right side of his chest, died on the way to the University of Alberta Hospital.
On September 5th police released details of an autopsy report.
28-year-old Kasim Mohamed of Edmonton and 27-year-old Farhan Hassan of Calgary both died of gunshot wounds. Not released were the number of shots or type of weapon used, with those details withheld for investigative purposes.
Homicide detectives have gone on record saying neither man is believed to have any gang or drug ties.
Police also stated that they have no motive or suspects in connection with the shooting which they didn't consider random.
The sudden eruption of violence in a normally peaceful neighbourhood took many residents by surprise.
"This is home and I feel invaded when I see police tape," Brian Yaschuk shared with Global Edmonton.
"It's a contemporary metro issue and it's coming to our part of Edmonton now and I have a real problem with that."
The police tape was hard to miss as it surrounded the community hall, a children's baseball diamond, a soccer field, a playground and a wading pool.
Past the police tape could be seen two New York baseball caps, one lying on the road near a broken beer bottle, the other in the grass.
Behind the community hall a white blanket covered a man's lifeless body.
For most of the day an intensive search for clues was carried out by officers combing the large crime scene.
While police were interviewing residents of a nearby townhouse ...
... CTV Edmonton caught up with a man who witnessed one of the shootings – read more »
Jeremy Boyd ran out of his home after hearing what he thought were gunshots. He later hid in the bushes of his front lawn as he watched what was happening outside the hall.
"I never expected that here," Boyd said.
"A lot of sort of reggae music and rap music going on and about seven gunshots went off in about ten seconds. Then about 100 people and 35 cars peeled out of here as fast as they could.
"Heard a couple more gunshots and watched this guy drop to the ground, a couple more people ran out of here and I called the cops.
"He was African-American, teenager – maybe 25 years old."
All told, Boyd figured there were ten shots.
"It was the second time it happened though. About a month and a half ago these same group of guys are having the same party and the same thing happened."
When asked to confirm by the CTV reporter that somebody else had gotten shot, Boyd nodded in the affirmative.
But when the reporter interviewed Mike Cousens, president of the Fulton Place Community League, he said there was no previous gunfire and that the day's shootings have nothing to do with the community league.
"This has never happened before, period. It's a social problem. Speak to your MLA. This stuff is crazy and it's going on everywhere," Cousens said.
Police said an "after hours party" was taking place at the hall. Neighbours said they heard voices and music coming from the hall at about 3:00 a.m. Cheryl Thomas told Global Edmonton there usually aren't any problems with parties at the facility.
"People rent the hall and of course there's drinking but it's not known to be out of control ever – so it's a very out of ordinary experience like this. Very shocking, very tragic," Thomas said.
Not everyone took the matter as casually. A man who let himself only be identified as "Craig" told CTV he questioned why community halls would be rented for all night parties.
"An election is coming up in October. Let me tell you, this can happen to anyone who lives near a community hall if they're renting them at three in the morning," he said.
The Edmonton Journal spoke to a woman who left the party less than an hour before shots were fired. She said these types of parties have been happening about once a week throughout the summer, scheduled at various community halls around the city.
The woman said the party was hosted by members of the city's Caribbean and African communities and at least 100 people were in attendance. There was very little drinking as the liquor ran out early in the evening, she said.
But the woman admitted that two small groups had problems with each other at previous hall parties, resulting in at least one fight.
Jeri Pilling, who lived a block away from the hall, told Globalwhat she heard.
"I heard a bit of voices and all of a sudden I heard like pop pop pop pop pop pop and then all the cars started like going up the alley and like I didn't even want to look outside to see what was going on because I figured it was gunshots," Pilling said.
It was the loud music coming from the hall that first woke Darvin Neupauer up at 3 a.m. He said he managed to fall back asleep, but was soon awake again after hearing gunshots.
"You wouldn't expect this to happen here ... this is like Seniorsville."
While CTV cameras where at the scene, several people showed up to retrieve property from the hall. Most offered no comment, perhaps saving their remarks as they were each questioned by police.
But two men did speak on camera.
"We own a sound company and we're just here to pick up equipment."
The man also said he didn't know who rented the hall and that his truck had been impounded by police.
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After the man's body was removed from the grounds, fire personnel washed down the scene.
All that remained to serve as an ironic reminder of the double homicide was an electrical box marked with graffiti that read: Fuck Flash Walking Dead!!!
A day after the shooting, the party's organiser returned to the community league building to retrieve property. He also met with media to set the record straight concerning his event – read more »
An animated Anthony Hall said the victims were not on the invitation-only guest list that numbered no more than 120 people, and they arrived after the party had wound down.
"There was no ruckus. There was not a fight – there was nothing. That's the mystery of it," said the man.
Hall, his wife Kim, and two friends organised the party, one of several held each year at the hall and throughout the city.
At about 3 a.m., Hall shut down the bar and put out tables of food so people could eat and relax before heading home. Many people left while some moved to the parking lot.
"People were just hanging out. That's what you do after a party," Hall said.
More cars drove up after four o'clock until about 50 people were in the parking lot. Hall drove his trailer up to the back door to load supplies. As soon as he went back inside the hall, he heard five or six loud shots.
"Who knows who followed them to the party," Hall said. "When I came out they were already on the ground. One guy was crying out, 'That's my cousin.' There's nothing we could do but call 911.
"We saw two individuals on the ground and people just taking off. So when they got here, I couldn't tell you.
"These guys, wherever they came from, had an altercation somewhere else or been going on for a long time – who knows? And if they come here that's what happened. These individual have their issues and it just happened that it end up on our doorsteps.
"I don't know what we could have done differently," he said.
"We're not going to stop having functions. Nobody puts on a party to make these guys get shot," Hall said, adding that he took precautions including having three security people to keep out unwelcome guests.
"There was no indication that this was going to happen. It's horrible because you get labelled," he said of the additional notoriety he feared would be attached to the Carribean and Jamaican community.
"It's unfortunate that it happened at one of our functions," Hall said.
A planned fundraiser for hurricane victims in Jamaica was cancelled due to the stigma that Hall feels now plagued the parties.
On September 6th, 2007, funeral services for Farhan Hassan and Kasim Mohamed were held at the Canadian Islamic Centre.
On September 11th, 2007, Mayor Stephen Mandel and police chief Mike Boyd met with about 150 Somali men and women at Wellington Junior High School. The bridge-building exercise was to encourage trust in the police investigation – read more »
"Contact between people leads to communication," Boyd said.
"That's when the police and the community can really work together. If there is anyone from the community who has any kind of information, especially in relation to violent crimes, please come forward," he pleaded.
"We want to create the proper atmosphere, the proper opportunities for you," Mandel told those gathered.
"So when people come here, they know they feel at home and they know there's a good future for them here."
Most from the Somali community in attendance were there to see what civic officials had to say. A few stepped to the microphones, including Shukri Issa, a niece of a murder victim.
"It's time to break the code of silence. It's time to stop the killing of innocent lives," Issa said.
"It's time to realise the government and the community need to work together to stop this and create a better place to live, a safe place without fear of violence."
"How convinced do you think we will be that there will be justice?" asked somewhat skeptical Abdiaziz Hassan, Farhan's brother.
Farhan Farah, a friend of one of the victims, said many came to the meeting to show support "and to know what the community is going through."
Abdi Osman Mire, another friend, added: "Those guys that got killed, everybody is wondering, 'How did this happen?' "
Farah said most of the people attending wouldn't have been there if the victims had any gang or drug ties.
Haanim Nur spoke of a growing fear in the Somali community. "I'm too scared to be alone, now," said the 16-year-old.
"The people here came for safety," added her mother Sahria Hashi. "It was really a shock."
Afterwards, chief Boyd said meetings like this will make for a safer community.
"I'm not oblivious to some of the concerns we see reported to police officers. But, you know, it could be just the tip of the iceberg – we really need to hear from the community to get a real good understanding of the concerns as they see it," he said.
"That's, I think, where the power in all of this lies."
Representatives of the Somali community asked for funding for youth programs and to hire staff for the cultural society. They also mentioned housing problems for their large families and the struggles children face in their new schools.
On September 16th, 2007, police were called out to the Element Lounge at 10807 106 Avenue after reports came in of shots fired from a drive-by shooting.
A male youth and an adult male were hit by shotgun fire with one of them being hit in the hand. They were reported as having serious but non-life threatening injuries.
The Edmonton Sun reported police were investigating whether the shooting was linked to the deaths of Hassan and Mohamed.
The Sun quoted Staff Sgt. Gail Denys as saying police were investigating whether the shooting was linked. Denys said the attack seemed "retaliatory, possibly related to the [Fulton Place] homicides."
In filling out the story, the Sun contacted Len Untereiner of Edmonton's Spirit Keeper Youth Society, an organisation working to keep youth out of gangs – read more »
Untereiner said violence is part of a trend among visible minority youth, borne out of depression and feelings of hopelessness.
"Violence has been accepted as a lifestyle for many of these young men. These are kids who don't think of turning 30 or having a family, home or kids. They don't value their own lives – how can they be expected to value the lives of innocents?" Untereiner questioned.
"It doesn't matter if they are aboriginal or black or white or yellow, there are youth in Edmonton who think they have no more than two choices: grow up in prison, or die very young addicted to drugs and living on the street."
Fulton Place Community League president Mike Cousens told the Sun he was dismayed to hear the shooting may be linked back to his community. Cousens said many of his neighbours are still coming to grips with the early September night of violence.
"We're working together as a strong community and we have plans to help people feel safer, but I really don't see this as a specific worry for Fulton," he said.
"These days, Edmonton tends to bubble with trouble after midnight. The important thing is for communities to work together to make each other feel safe."
Investigation goes south
On October 18th, 2007 investigators released photographs of Farhan Hassan, left, and Kasim Mohamed to Edmonton and Cagary media. Hassan, also known as Osman Mohamud, was a Calgary resident and at one time also lived in Vancouver.
Detectives said they were seeking assistance from the Calgary media and public in an attempt to retrace Hassan's steps prior to his death in Edmonton.
Police were still trying to establish an accurate timeline and why Hassan may have come to Edmonton.
Edmonton homicide detective Jeff Kerr travelled to Calgary to address media at Calgary Police Service Headquarters, and asked anyone who may have information relating to the investigation to call either Calgary detective Geoff Brydges at 403-206-4531 or himself ay 780-421-3549.
Kerr said it was an unusual move for officers to travel to the southern Alberta city.
"We've come to Calgary to try and encourage some information to come out as to what may have happened or why he may have been up in Edmonton and what he may have been doing up there," Kerr said.
"Right now we don't have anything from Edmonton that say why he may have got killed up there. We don't know if he was targeted at all – we're getting zero tips up there," he added.
"We haven't even established why the two of them were together other than they knew each other."
Somali community reacts
In the days before the release of the identities of the individuals shot outside the Fulton Place hall, local Somalis were dealing with rumours that the two men were from within their community – read more »
Hassan Ali, president of the Somali Canadian Cultural Society of Edmonton, said community members met with the families of the men they believed were the victims.
The latest killings were in addition to the recent murders of four other members of Edmonton's small Somali community.
Deng Atem Bulgak and Juk (Jock) Deng Ring were shot dead behind a one-storey duplex at 13329 82 Street on May 15th, 2007, and 19-year-old Mahamud Yassin Yusuf was found dead near Stony Plain five days later.
In April 2005 cabbie Hassan Mohammed Yussuf was stabbed to death and left to die in the trunk of his own taxi.
The most recent tragedy will have a big impact on local Somalis since many came to Canada to escape violence, said Ali.
"When they see their children ending up in the same situation they left in Somalia, it's going to be tough to accept," he said.
Joseph Luri, of the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, told Global Edmonton effort was being made to identify issues the immigrant community faces.
"It's an ongoing thing to leave them some kind of workshops and orientation so that they get to know who the friends they can associate with are and what activities they can go to so that they don't become victims of circumstances," Luri said.
The Centre said it was holding a forum to reach out to the community's young people, targeting those between 15 and 28.
The event, called Youth Sparkle Forum, was set to be held September 29th, 2007, at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre on Kingsway Avenue.
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The deaths of Hassan and Mohamed became part of a still-growing list of men from Somalia and the Horn of Africa to have lost their lives working and living in Alberta. See the Last Link's compilation of the deaths on the So many Somalis page.
Community league halls and late-night events
The question of whether community league halls should host late-night events was raised in light of the double murder and several other homicides in recent years – read more »
When first contacted by the Edmonton Journal, League president Mike Cousens said he was still trying to determine who rented the hall. He added that every renter is screened and interviewed.
"The hall is supposed to close down like any establishment – shut down at 1 and doors closed by 2," he said. "This is the first time we've ever had a party that spilled into the evening like this.
"We have a very peaceful community and this is upsetting for everyone," Cousens said. "This isn't a reflection on our community hall. This is a reflection on our city."
In November 2006, Evan James Grykuliak was stabbed to death at the La Perle community league hall just as an adult-supervised 18th birthday party was winding down.
Grykuliak's homicide brought into question how volunteer-based community leagues monitored activities at hall events.
A 17-year-old male was charged with second-degree murder, assault with a weapon, and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon in connection with Grykuliak's murder. He cannot be identified under provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
In September 2003, 20-year-old Keith Hunter Raglon was shot to death at the Athlone Community Centre. Ironically, Raglon's murder took place at a memorial for 20-year-old Julian Wright who was shot to death a year earlier.
The Edmonton Sun put the question of late-night parties at community halls to its readers.
The one-day voluntary poll allowed only one response per computer.
Cousens later said the league had rented the facility to Hall and his friends several times before.
"They've been great tenants. This had nothing to do with them," he said.
Reward offered
On the first anniversary of the shooting, police had still made no arrests in connection with the deaths of Farhan Hassan and Kasim Mohamed.
As investigators further probed the murder, they continues to maintain there was no evidence to support any gang connections despite the views of Edmonton's Somali community.
Investigators made little progress in the case, and in March 2010 the Edmonton Police Commission approved a $40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the deaths of Hassan and Mohamed – see reward poster »
Those with information about the incident were asked to contact Edmonton police at 780-423-4567, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.tipsubmit.com. Tips can also be text messaged.
- In Edmonton: text TIP250 + message and send to CRIMES (274637)
- In Northern Alberta: text TIP205 + message and send to CRIMES (274637)
A confirmation message and unique code number will then be sent. Tipsters can respond by replying.
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