Absolutely 'no motive' for triple shooting that left teacher dead: police

Abshir Hassan is shown in this undated image. (Photo courtesy Waheema Asghar)

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

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Investigators probing the triple shooting that left a beloved teacher dead Tuesday say they can't make sense of the gunfire.

"As of right now, we have yet to establish a motive," Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Steve Ryan said Wednesday outside 11 Flemington Rd., where the shooting occurred.

"We have three law-abiding productive members of this community who were at a birthday party, all went outside and were all shot within minutes of being outside."

It was just after midnight that 31-year-old Abshir Hassan left the building, near Allen Road and Lawrence Avenue, to move his car and the gunfire rang out.

Two others -- a 22-year-old man and his 18-year-old girlfriend, who had also just stepped outside -- were also shot. They remained in hospital Wednesday in serious condition, but are expected to survive, Ryan said.

"Our deceased went out to move his car because he dropped a friend off at the party and his car was parked in the fire route … And when he left the party and went out outside, all three were fired on," Ryan said. "At this point, I don't believe any of them were targeted. There's absolutely no motive for this shooting."

Asked how he makes sense of such a situation, Ryan responded: "We don't."

While police have only vague suspect descriptions -- two men were seen running eastbound from the scene -- they say there were two shooters and that a silver vehicle may have been involved.

"It could have been random; it could have been mistaken identity; it could have been many things. But for certain, it wasn't a targeted attack," Ryan said. "This is a crime that we all should be concerned about. These are three young people minding their own business, celebrating a birthday party, and (they) were shot."

Just up the street, dozens of people gathered at Lawrence Heights Middle School Wednesday to remember Hassan, who was a former student there after arriving as a refugee from Somalia. Years later, he became a teacher at that school after attending York University.

Clutching a copy of the book "Hip Hop Curriculum" that Hassan helped create, Toronto District School Board colleague Ramon San Vicente said: "He was so dedicated and committed to working to improve the lives of our young people in this city."

One of those young people was Cyrika Gunn, who first met Hassan three years ago when she was in Grade 8 and he was volunteering as a mentor at an after-school program.

"I'm going to miss him so much. He was so nice to me and I will never forget Abshir Hassan," Gunn said. "He means a lot to me and he's one of the greatest people that I've ever met in my whole entire life."

While Gunn believes Hassan "would be angry" about the gun violence "because no one deserves to die by someone else's hand," she said, "One thing he would never want to see people is sad. He would always want people to be happy."

And that's one of the reasons Waheema Asghar was smiling on the steps of the school, where she began her friendship with Hassan nearly two decades ago after Hassan arrived from Somalia as a refugee.

"There were so many people that he moved and if he could just make one person happy, one person smile, he would have left a happy man," Asghar said.

"I've had my moment of tears, but more than that, I think about him and I just can't help but smile."

Hassan had grown up in Lawrence Heights and was familiar with the violence that plagued the community.

"He understands what this community is about," Asghar said. "That he would succumb to it (the violence), who would know? It was a shock."

University classmate Saada Awaleh said Hassan "inspired me to do amazing things. I did my masters because of him ... I actually volunteered at this school because of him."

Awaleh noted the special bond Hassan had with students.

"The way that people spoke of him, the students, they were just … in love with him, with his personality," she said.

Awaleh's husband, Chinedu Ezemenari, described Hassan as "an extremely positive individual, very optimistic. Any negative situation, he could turn it into a positive."

"He was a good friend and not just by words, but with action," Ezemenari said. "He was always somebody who would do for you, right? Not just give you words of encouragement, but actually say, 'What can I do for you?'"

Investigators hope the positive sentiments will translate into co-operative witnesses.

"At this point, all and any information will help us," Ryan said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Toronto Police Homicide Squad at 416-808-7400. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477, visiting 222tips.com, or by texting TOR and a tip to CRIMES.

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