Tuesday, January 06, 2015
Calgary police identified a Somali man murdered in an alley in the city’s northwest late last week.
An autopsy has confirmed the deceased is 23-year-old Murat Osman Omar.
His cause of death is still to be determined, police say, but officers were called to the area of the 1400 block of 8 St. N.W. about 3 a.m. Jan. 2 to investigate gunshots, and Omar’s body was found soon after.
At this time no suspects have been identified in connection to the young man’s slaying.
Police believe Omar’s life was taken in a targeted attack and Imam Abdi Hersi, who has been in contact with the young man’s family, said they believe he was lured from his home by phone calls.
Investigation into the city’s second homicide of 2015 continues, with police now looking for a silver 2000 to 2003 model Acura MDX in connection.
Meanwhile, police say there’s no new information about the city’s first homicide of the year, 26-year-old Abdullahi Ahmed, who was critically injured in a mass shooting at a Killarney home Jan. 1 during a New Year’s celebration, and died soon after in hospital.
Six others were injured in that shooting.
Currently there are no suspects in that incident either.
Both victims are of Somali descent, but police have said investigators don’t believe there’s any connection between the two murders.
Motives for either man’s slaying remain unknown.
Anyone with information regarding either murder is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.