Witnesses sought after two gun deaths

Det. Rob North Homicide investigators are looking for answers as to why two men were gunned down in separate incidents in late March. Investigators are urging a suspect wanted in connection with a homicide in the early morning hours of March 28 to surrender to police immediately. Anthony Smith, 21, was shot to death in the King St. W. & Portland St. area, in what police say was a targeted shooting. An arrest warrant has been issued for 23-year-old Nisar Hashimi for First-Degree murder and attempted murder using a firearm. Hashimi turned himself into police the morning after the news conference. At a media conference at police headquarters on April 3, Det. Joyce Schertzer said Hashimi’s lawyer had made arrangements for his client to surrender to police earlier in the day. “He did not honour that arrangement and I am here to send a very public message to any friend, family, associate or acquaintance who may consider offering him assistance or comfort or shelter of the criminal consequences,” she said. “…My advice is for him to turn himself in immediately. Every police officer on duty in Toronto has his picture and the Chief of Police has afforded us every resource available to arrest him.” Schertzer is also appealing to witnesses to contact police. “We have downloaded and reviewed surveillance footage from area businesses and it’s very apparent that there are dozens of eyewitnesses who are yet to speak to police,” she said. “We are urging those captured on video to do the right thing and contact us for an interview.” Smith was the city’s 14th homicide victim. Two days after his death, 23-year-old Michael Nguyen was murdered as he and a 24-year-old man left Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Nguyen succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, while his friend, injured in the shooting in the mall’s parking lot, has been released from hospital. Nguyen had a criminal record and both men have been associated with the Asian Assassins street gang. “Even though this is likely a gang incident, there is no suggestion that the two victims returned fire or did anything to provoke the incident,” Det. Rob North said. “In my opinion, someone must have known they were at the Yorkdale Mall and were waiting in the parking lot, in ambush, for them to return to their motor vehicle. “…They left the mall together and were walking towards a parked car when they were ambushed. Nguyen fled for a short distance before collapsing and he was shot several more times, execution-style. The second victim was able to flee and, in the process of doing so, was also shot.” North said investigators are reviewing hundreds of hours of security camera video of the mall’s interior and exterior as well as video from surrounding businesses. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Homicide Squad at 416-808-7400, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), or Leave A Tip on Facebook. Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World. Source