Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 30, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba Help secure the future of local journalism with an annual gift of $150 BECOME a FREE PRESS PATRON Patron benefits include: l The ability to gift a one-year, all-access digital subscription l Concierge-style customer service l Regular impact updates via a newsletter exclusive to patrons l Access to patron-exclusive events hosted by the Free Press To learn more visit wfp.to/patron https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/patron WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● B3 ABDULLAHI Jemal Ahmed opened fire on a crowd of rival gang members at a Winnipeg cem- etery and then expressed disappointment when he learned only one of his targets — 21-year-old Hayder Hassan — had been killed in the surprise attack. Ahmed told friends he “intended to hit every- one” and was “mad that he … only got one person,” Crown attorney Libby Standil told court Wednes- day before a judge sentenced him to life in prison with no chance of parole for 16 years. Given an opportunity to address court, Ahmed told King’s Bench Justice Gerald Chartier he re- gretted the shooting and hoped to one day mentor young men who are at risk of falling prey to his same mistakes. “I thought I was on top of the world and could do whatever I wanted to do without consequences,” he said. “It’s hard to find words to express how sorry I am for my actions.” Chartier urged Ahmed to do his part to stop the “vicious circle” of gang violence, which he de- scribed as a “street to nowhere.” Ahmed, 28, was originally charged with first-de- gree murder in the April 2021 killing, but in a plea deal with prosecutors, he entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder, thereby avoiding a man- datory minimum 25-year prison sentence. In the nearly four years since Hassan was slain, Ahmed fired two sets of lawyers and had two trials cancelled. The plea deal brings “finality” to the case, Standil said, noting had Ahmed been convicted after trial, he likely would have ap- pealed, which would prolong the case again. Ahmed and Hassan were both Somalian refu- gees, born amid violence, who overcame great obstacles to come to Canada only to later become mired in street gang warfare. Court heard Hassan was part of a group that had gathered at Thomson in the Park Funeral Home and Cemetery to celebrate the birthday of fellow gang member Rig Debak Moulebou, who was fatally shot as he slept in a South Pointe home on Nov. 4, 2019. Moulebou was killed in retaliation for the slay- ing of Jamshaid Wahabi, a high-ranking gangster and close friend of Ahmed, who had been killed at Citizen Nightclub on Bannatyne Avenue two days earlier. Moulebou died before he could be charged in Wahabi’s death, but was identified as the killer during a jury trial in December 2021, when three men were found guilty of killing Moulebou. Court heard Ahmed was driving around the city with another gang associate when he learn- ed Hassan and other rival gang members were at Moulebou’s gravesite. Ahmed, who believed the gang members were also responsible for a home invasion at his mother’s house, directed his com- panion to drive to the cemetery. After pulling over to the side of the highway, Ahmed, armed with a loaded handgun, got out of the car and walked through a ditch and field as he approached the cemetery. “To be clear, the accused had been going about his day when he hears that his enemies are assem- bled at the gravesite,” Standil said. “When he goes to the cemetery, he knows he is going to be con- fronted by a group that is likely armed.” Gang members saw Ahmed approaching and demanded he identify himself. Ahmed opened fire, sending the gang members scrambling for cover. Hassan was shot in the heart. Ahmed pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last week, at which time he claimed the rival gang members fired the first shots. While there is some forensic evidence to sug- gest other shots were fired, it is impossible to de- termine which side shot first, Standil said. “Any suggestion that Mr. Ahmed acted in self defence, even if the other side fired first, is pre- posterous,” she said. “The accused made a series of decisions that day. His actions were deliberate …. As he told his friends after the fact: he wanted to kill more people.” Hassan went by the nickname “Baby face,” a playful reference to his inability to grow a mous- tache, and was described by family members as “bubbly and outgoing,” Standil said. “At the time he was killed he was making bad decisions, but that doesn’t erase the person he was,” she said. “His loss is felt greatly.” dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca NEWS I LOCAL THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2025 Two charged in separate store robberies TWO men have been charged after separate rob- bery incidents involving small “edged” weapons. Police were sent to a retail business on the 3600 block of Portage Avenue at about 5 p.m. Tuesday and arrested a man. Officers learned a man had told staff he was go- ing to steal, then went to the cashier counter and pulled out a “small edged weapon,” the Winnipeg Police Service said in a release Wednesday. He raised the weapon in a threatening manner, the WPS said. A 33-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with robbery and failing to comply with condi- tions of a release order. Later that day, at about 7:45 p.m., police were sent to the Safeway at 499 River Ave. after a shop- lifter stole items and brandished a “small edged weapon.” Officers arrested a man who was stand- ing outside the grocery store and found he had several break-in tools on him, the WPS said. All the stolen merchandise was recovered. Police learned the man had placed merchandise in his backpack. He pulled out a weapon and left without paying after being confronted by store security. A 26-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with robbery and possession of break-in instruments. Both men were detained in custody. DEAN PRITCHARD Health advocate to run for NDP in Liberal stronghold H EALTH-CARE advocate Thom- as Linner is seeking to become the first NDP MP in the St. Boniface-St. Vital seat, which is soon to be vacated by Liberal MP Dan Van- dal. The 47-year-old Linner, who is mar- ried to NDP Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable and is the father of two children, was ac- claimed as the federal candidate at a recent meeting. Linner, who lives in Windsor Park, is currently the interim executive director of the Manitoba Federation of Labour’s Occupational Health Cen- tre and the former director of the Manitoba Health Coalition. He sits on the board of directors of the Heart- wood Healing Centre, a non-profit group that helps adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. “Public health care is critically im- portant to me,” said Linner on Wed- nesday. “Canadians want to see public health care protected and they also want to see these services improved … a lot of the problems in health care came from cuts made by (prime min- ister) Stephen Harper and the Liberal government under Justin Trudeau has followed in this path.” In a statement, NDP Leader Jag- meet Singh said he is proud that Lin- ner, a longtime defender of the coun- try’s universal health care system, is running as a candidate for his party. “He’s beaten Conservative plans to privatize health care for profit in Manitoba before, and he will bring that fight to Ottawa to ensure every- one can access health care when and where they need it with their health card, not their credit card,” said Singh. Vandal was elected to the House of Commons in late 2015. He announced in October that he would not seek re-election and was shuffled out of cabinet in December. The Liberals and Conservative par- ties have not announced candidates yet. Linner was born and raised in Sas- katchewan and came here to work in the governments of Gary Doer and Greg Selinger. He has also worked for the leader of the NDP opposition in Saskatchewan. Linner said until now he never con- sidered taking a shot at politics him- self. He said he realizes he is in for a tough battle. In the last nine elections, the NDP has come in third in the riding, with the 1997 election being the lone time it came in second, squeaking just five votes ahead of the Reform Party can- didate. The riding itself is, for the most part, a Liberal stronghold with the party losing to the Tories only five times in 29 previous elections. “It is going to be an uphill battle,” Linner said on Wednesday. “I know that and I am ready for the work. “But, if you look, all of the prov- incial ridings in St. Boniface and St. Vital are held by the NDP provincial- ly. And the Probe polls in the last year show the NDP are leading the Liber- als in Winnipeg.” kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS Thomas Linner is the newly acclaimed NDP candidate for the federal riding of St. Boniface-St. Vital. KEVIN ROLLASON Killer vows to end ‘vicious circle’ of violence ;