A man has been convicted of second-degree murder in the slaying of a rival gang member during a gunfight that broke out near Winnipeg police headquarters two years ago.
Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Justice Chris Martin said he ruled out convicting Gunni Abdi Hassen of first-degree murder because “the evidence raises considerable suspicion.”
“Mr. Hassen took a loaded firearm, interrupting his drug dealing that morning, to initiate a confrontation. It was needless. He sought it out… I am satisfied the Crown has proven beyond a reasonable doubt Mr. Hassen’s actions were not reasonable.
He wrote that Hassen “intended to kill or do grievous bodily harm” to Abdulwasi Ahmed.
Hassen will be sentenced later this year.
Defence counsel Evan Roitenberg said Friday Hassen is considering an appeal of the conviction.
Ahmed, 30, was shot and killed at 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 9, 2022, during a shootout sparked by a beef over drug turf.
Court was told during the four-week trial in May that the two gangs had been sparring over drug dealing and there had been “tit-for-tat violence and killings” since 2019.
Court was told Hassen and other members of his gang were doing dial-a-dealer drug sales, packaging crack cocaine in a McDermot Avenue apartment suite, before two caretakers there would drive them to drug deals.
Hassen and another gang member were being driven to a drug deal when he heard a rival gang, which included Ahmed, was downtown.
He told the caretaker to drive them to Fort Street, where he and the other gang member got out and soon came upon Ahmed and four other men. At that point, shooting broke out.
In his 35-page decision, the judge said it’s not known whether it was Hassen or Ahmed who fired first, “but this was something (Hassen) prepared for; something he instigated, going where he went armed as he was.”
Hassen’s fellow gangster was shot and wounded by Ahmed. Hassen shot Ahmed in the forehead and took off. He was arrested a month later.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason
Reporter
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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