Hamilton police are looking to speak with the creator of a GoFundMe page said to be in aid of the family of the young man who was fatally shot last weekend.
The unauthorized page titled “Hamilton Hero Funeral Fundraiser” has been disabled, since it is unknown where the money was actually going.
“If we could speak to the originator of the page, then it would shed a little better light on this,” said Hamilton police Det.-Sgt. Greg Doerr.
Doerr said police were notified of its existence by the family of Yosif Al-Hasnawi, who was shot when he tried to intervene as two men were accosting an older man in downtown Hamilton on Saturday night.
“We have confirmed that this is unauthorized,” Doerr said. “The family that we’ve spoken with have not approved this and we have not been able to speak with the originator of the GoFundMe page.”
The matter is being investigated by the Major Fraud Branch.
The page, which has since been taken down, had raised $1,345. Doerr said the money is expected to be returned to the donors.
Police are still looking for 19-year-old Dale King, who is wanted on a second-degree murder warrant in Al Hasnawi’s death.
On Wednesday, police said that King has changed his appearance and released new photos to the public.