Windsor Hotel shooting victim had pending gun charges

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/01/2020 (1711 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s latest homicide victim had multiple criminal charges pending against him at the time he was shot to death Sunday morning at the Windsor Hotel.

Yassin Abdu Ahmed celebrated his 20th birthday just 12 days before he was killed at the downtown hotel, which has gained an increasingly infamous reputation.

At the time of his death, Ahmed was soon expected in court to face charges of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm in connection with a domestic incident on July 29, 2019.

He was also accused of carrying a concealed handgun and possessing a handgun for a purpose dangerous to the public. A warrant for his arrest was issued Aug. 19.

He was released from custody on a $1,500 recognizance Sept. 6. His last court appearance before he died around 3 a.m. Sunday was Dec. 3.

Ahmed was under a number of court conditions, including a weapons ban and an order not to contact or go near the woman he was accused of threatening.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Rob Carver said Monday investigators believe an altercation broke out inside the entrance of the Windsor Hotel at 187 Garry St., before spilling out into the neighbouring parking lot.

Carver said police do not believe it was a drive-by shooting. However, he added, investigators are looking into possible gang connections.

“I can tell you that in almost all situations of public shootings where the shooting moves out onto a street, that almost without question the underlying theme is gang involvement. Almost 100 per cent,” Carver said.

Ahmed was one of three men shot during Sunday’s incident. The victims were taken to hospital, where Ahmed was pronounced dead.

His slaying marks Winnipeg’s second homicide of 2020. Last year, Winnipeg recorded a record 44 homicides.

The two other victims — whose names have not been released — have since been upgraded to stable condition. It remains unclear what relationship — if any — they had to Ahmed.

Police have not announced any arrests in connection with the shooting.

On Monday, the Spence Neighbourhood Association held a memorial gathering for Ahmed, who’d spent time employed as a youth worker at both the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre and Broadway Neighbourhood Centre.

Ahmed’s family was reportedly originally from Somalia. After fleeing war, they travelled to Sudan, where Ahmed was born in a refugee camp. The family settled in Winnipeg in 2010.

Anyone with information relevant to the investigation are asked to contact homicide investigators at 204-986-6508.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe