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WARNING

Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, 24, died of a single gunshot wound on August 30th, 2008.

Ibrahim was the Edmonton metro area's seventh homicide victim of the year.

Adam Michael Brown, 21, and Alexander Edward Colin Reid, 20, were each charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.

persons charged | women sought
the start of a trend

24-year-old Mohamed Ali Ibrahim was shot dead and a 20-year-old woman was injured after bullets flew through the morning air outside the River Cree Resort and Casino on the Enoch reserve just west of Edmonton.

Stony Plain RCMP were called out to the popular entertainment facility at about 1:26 a.m. August 30th, 2008 after reports came in of a major disturbance at the Touch Ultra Lounge, a nightclub inside the casino. While police were on their way came calls of shots fired.

"We have one deceased and we believe possibly another person injured but that's yet to be confirmed," RCMP Staff Sgt. Mike Pierson told media.

"Our guys are just trying locate and interview some witnesses."

RCMP later said a woman was transported to an Edmonton hospital where she was listed in stable condition.

The victim's body was covered with a tarp just outside the front lobby but it had yet to be confirmed if that was where the shooting took place.

It was reported some witnesses heard at least two shots fired. The Edmonton police Air One helicopter was brought in to provide search assistance.

It appeared one man was taken into custody but police have not released any details regarding suspects.

Part of the complex was closed as police took over. Black curtains were set up around the entrance at the request of hotel management.

For most of the day the main floor of the resort and the parking lot were shut down as forensic staff processed the scene.

An RCMP police dog worked the ditches along Whitemud Drive west of Anthony Henday Drive. Police couldn't confirm if a weapon had been recovered.

The body was removed around 2:00 p.m., but the casino, the lounge and a large part of the parking lot remained closed.

While authorities revealed little about the identity of the victim, he was described by some as a black male in his twenties.

Investigators have not commented on whether drug or gang connections were suspected in the shooting.

Stony Plain RCMP held a news conference later in the day.

“When RCMP officers attended there were fights outside as well as they reported that a shooting had just occurred outside the River Cree Casino,” Const. Barb Roy said.

The spokesman added that investigators were currently examining surveillance footage taken from several cameras around the casino.

"They have video of the casino inside and out and they'll be going over that to assist them."

The Edmonton Major Crimes and Forensics units were brought in to help officers from the Stony Plain detachment and the Stony Plain RCMP drug team. Roy said the drug team was only assisting the investigation and that was not an indication that drugs or gangs were involved in the shooting.

Police couldn't confirm whether the unidentified woman was at the casino with the victim or in a different group, or whether the victim was involved in a fight inside the lounge or was an innocent bystander.

Roy did say casino staff have been cooperative.

One woman spoke to a casino worker who witnessed the shooting.

“She said some guy had walked out of the casino and this guy just shot him in the back of the head,” Theresa Haineault said.

“She didn’t say how many times, just that the guy was shot in the back of the head and another person got hurt.”

Cort Gallup described what he saw.

"This guy was face down on the pavement," Gallup said. "There was a bunch of people running around screaming."

Gallup added the victim appeared to have a serious head wound. "He died right there," Gallup said.

A regular patron of the Touch Ultra Lounge said it should have been shut down a long time ago due to frequent problems.

“It seems like it's always gangs in there and whatever,” Rod Ferguson said. “We try to enjoy ourselves on a Saturday night and you can't. It's loud and they're fighting. It's no good.”

Const. Roy acknowledged police had been to the lounge for incidents in the past, but said the number of times wasn't out of the ordinary for such a location.

A tourist visiting the casino for a poker tournament said the situation was tense in the wake of the shooting.

"It's definitely scary. You hear about these things all the time ... I've never really been this close to it," Jay Glass told media.

A scheduled Canadian Poker Tour tournament, to be taped for broadcast for The Score, was delayed.

River Cree management released a brief statement defending their operation.

"All evidence is pointing towards the event being and isolated incident," General Manager Michael Heeb wrote. "The resort is not at liberty to discuss the incident."

Willing to discuss the incident but not reveal her identity was a woman named Marie, interviewed by Global Edmonton – read more »

When the River Cree Resort and Casino was first proposed, there was resistance to the development from nearby communities. But according to Rob Sharman, president of Lewis Estates Community League, the casino has been a good neighbour – read more »

On August 31st, 2008 Stony Plain RCMP identified the shooting victim as 24-year-old Mohamed Ali Ibrahim. He had been living in Edmonton for about a year and had family in Toronto.

Investigators didn't confirm if Ibrahim knew anyone at the casino or if he was there by himself.

Police also shed a little bit more light on the second victim, saying she was a 20-year-old female who had recently moved to Edmonton from Ontario.

RCMP updated news of the case on September 2nd by saying Ibrahim was known to police, but not the Spruce Grove/Stony Plain office. No further details were provided.

Court records revealed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Ibrahim after he failed to appear before a judge on July 9th, 2008 to answer to a charge of failing to comply with conditions (report to a probation officer).

In Toronto, Ibrahim (who friends called Esko) had a robbery charge against him withdrawn in March 2007 after he accepted the conditions of a peace bond.

Results of an autopsy confirmed that Ibrahim died of a single gunshot wound.

Police also said the 20-year-old woman knew Ibrahim on a first-name basis, but was not a girlfriend or spouse.

Management of the resort stepped up their damage control when speaking with the Edmonton Sun, saying plans had already been in the works to change the appeal of the facility – read more »

Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel appealed for perspective in the matter.

"These are isolated cases, you know, go to other cities in North America and the world and you can see real crime statistics," Mandel said.

But for those who witnessed the shooting, Edmonton's crime statistics seemed real enough.

Persons charged

On October 8th, 2008 Stony Plain RCMP announced that two persons had been charged with in connection with the death of Mohamed Ali Ibrahim.

Adam Michael Brown, 21, and Alexander Edward Colin Reid, 20, were each charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.

The rarely-laid charge of first-degree suggests the murder had been anticipated or planned.

Brown was arrested without incident at a northeast Edmonton residence on October 8th with the assistance of the Edmonton Police Service Tactical Section.

Reid remained at large with outstanding warrants for his arrest and media spread word asking the public to call police if he was spotted.

Within minutes of the supper-hour TV news being broadcast, Reid (above) gave himself up at Edmonton police headquarters.

When contacted by the Edmonton Journal, Ibrahim's family members in Toronto said they don't know the two men charged. However, police said the pair had ties to the Toronto area.

Police did not reveal if they thought Ibrahim's murder to be connected to drug or gang activity.

Despite the arrests, RCMP said investigators remain open to speaking with anyone who may have information relating to the circumstances that lead up to the events of August 30th, 2008 at the River Cree Casino.

Women sought

On July 31st, 2009 RCMP issued warrants for two women who they believe witnessed Ibrahim's murder.

Police said both women, believed to be living in the Fort McMurray area, had avoided subpoenas for court service.

Warrants were issued for 24-year-old Sabah Warsame and 23-year-old Sabah Adad.

Warsame was described as 5-feet 1-inch and 143 pounds. She may also go by the name Saban Mohammed Ahmed.

Adad was described as 5-feet 9-inches and 120 pounds.

Police said neither woman was considered dangerous.

Those with information were asked to contact Stony Plain RCMP office at 780-968-7267, 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).

The start of a trend

Mohamed Ali Ibrahim's death signalled a trend in local murders.

Over the next while, Edmonton police homicide detectives had to deal with a slew of killings involving young Somali men – read more »

Construction workers came across the body of 22-year-old Nasir Mohamad Said on September 16th, 2008 behind Balwin school on 132nd Avenue west of 70th Street.

The former Toronto man was shot where he was found and investigators believed his death was drug-related. While he wasn't known to police in Edmonton, he was wanted on several outstanding warrants in Ontario and was facing charges in Fort McMurray.

On October 31st, 2008 the body of 21-year-old Abas Abukar was discovered lying in field near 140th Avenue and 92nd Street.

Abukar died of a gunshot wound. He had been living in Edmonton for several months after moving from Toronto. No progress has been reported in solving his murder.

A man shot on November 9th, 2008 in Fort McMurray was later identified as 17-year-old Daniel Asarfo-Adjei. He had only been in the northern Aberta city for a few days.

RCMP confirmed the incident was drug-related and that Asarfo-Adjei was known to the Toronto Police Service.

On December 2nd, 2008 the body of 23-year-old Abdul Kadir Mohamoud was found in Grand Trunk Park near 109th Street and 130th Avenue. He had been beaten and shot to death.

At last word, the investigation into Mohamoud's death had stalled.

Hours later on December 2nd, Ahmed Mohammed Abdirahman was found dead after shots were fired in the parking lot of the Dickinsfield III townhouse complex at 89th Street and 149th Avenue.

The 21-year-old had his jaw blown off by at least one shotgun blast. Police said they have no motive or suspect information.

On April 26th, 2009 the body of Mahamed Farah Khalif was found in Hermitage Park, near Hermitage Road and Victoria Trail. The 20-year-old Hamilton man had been shot as part of a kidnapping and robbery that also involved one other man.

Two men, apparently known to Khalif, were each charged with first-degree murder along with robbery and kidnapping, with one man facing an additional 17 weapons-related offences. Family said Khalif got caught up the wrong crowd after he moved to Edmonton.

A body found November 12th, 2009 behind a west-end synagogue turned out to 21-year-old Abdulaziz Osman Isse, a Toronto man who had recently moved to Edmonton.

Back in Ontario, Isse was facing charges for robbery and uttering threats. RCMP in Fort McMurray also knew of the man. Local police continue to hunt for his killer.

The broad-daylight execution-style shooting of 23-year-old Robleh Ali Mohamed on November 29th, 2009 made national news.

Mohamed, originally from Ottawa, was known to Edmonton police. What wasn't known was what he was doing behind a downtown laundromat in his Grand Marquis and why, according to witnesses, three men wanted to shoot him.

The bodies of Said, Abukar, Mohamoud and Isse were found in public spaces and with no attempt made to hide the remains.

Criminologists have long speculated that such killings are "message murders," intended as a warning to members within the criminal community.

It has been speculated that Somalis have been targeted as part of a gang turf war intended to keep them from establishing a toe-hold in Alberta.

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deadmonton 2008 - mohamed ali ibrahim