South Asian Gazette Worldwide News Work
Toronto police say a 26-year-old man who was fatally shot while walking to his car last week was the victim of a “cowardly” attack meant to strike fear in a west end community.
Det. Jason Shankaran says Nnamdi Ogba was walking toward his parked car in a Toronto Community Housing complex shortly after 11 p.m. Friday after visiting friends when two men approached him from behind and began shooting.
Police say the two men ran off into an SUV waiting nearby.
Shankaran says Ogba, who was pronounced dead at the scene, did not live in the complex and did not know his attackers.
He says police believe the assailants were looking to kill someone in the neighbourhood in order to seek some sort of vengeance in the community, but he did not elaborate what may have provoked such retaliation.
The community has seen its share of violence in the past, Shankaran says, adding that police believe the suspects came from another area of the city.
“I know that the community of Scarlettwood Court has received its share of tragedy and also violence,” Shankaran told reporters Monday. “I believe those suspects may harbour some sort of animosity toward the neighbourhood … and those residents who reside in it.”
Nnamdi, an electrical engineer who was engaged, was “an innocent man” who had no criminal record or known gang affiliation, Shankaran said.
He said that while fears of safety in the community are justified, co-operation from residents will help investigators find those responsible for Ogba death.
“Mr. Ogba did nothing to bring this upon himself. The evidence we have in front of us tells us that Mr. Ogba’s lifestyle, his activities, anything he did prior did not lead to this particular incident,” he said, “The only thing that led to his death was simply walking out of that building at that particular time and place.”
Police have also released a series of video clips from Toronto Community Housing securities cameras that show the two suspects and a suspect vehicle, which Shankaran said is believed to be a “newer model” Nissan Rogue. Other clips show different angles of the moments leading up to and following Ogba’s death.
Shankaran said the images of the suspects are grainy, but contain details of the suspects he said will be easily identifiable to someone who knows them.
“This situation is not one gang member shooting another — it’s an innocent man being gunned down,” Shankaran said.
Ogba’s death in Toronto’s 12th homicide of the year.
