Hamilton Police have made two arrests in a 2018 west Mountain homicide investigation involving the shooting of Marko Bakir.
Detectives said two Hamilton men are each facing first-degree murder charges in the death of then 31-year-old Bakir.
The victim was shot to death in the driveway of his Clifton Downs Road home near Upper Paradise Road and Mohawk Road West, at around 8:45 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2018.
Investigators say Bakir was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and eventually pronounced dead at the scene.
Since then, homicide detectives have been seeking witnesses and individuals in the community who have information.
Alessandro Giammichele, 28, was arrested on Wednesday by police in Thunder Bay, Ont. without incident, according to Det. Sgt. Steve Bereziuk.
“Giammichele has already had a brief court appearance via video link in Thunder Bay and has since been remanded into custody,” Berzuik said at a presser in front of Central Station on Friday.
He said co-accused Abdelaziz Ibrahim, 25, was already in police custody for unrelated matters.
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The arrest of Giammichele was made with the aid of Greater Sudbury, Thunder Bay and OPP officers.
Berezuik didn’t say how long the two men had been suspects in the case, but revealed the two were being “closed in on” in 2022.
“Alessandro Giammichele and Marko Bakir were friends at the time,” said Berezuik.
“Obviously, there was a falling out, but they knew each other. There was no known association between Bakir … and Ibrahim.”
The detective said the motive for the shooting “remains in evidence and is not being disclosed.”
It’s believed the dispute between Bakir and Giammichele was financial but not related to drugs, weapons or organized crime.
Berezuik said police are still appealing to residents in Manitoulin Island, Sudbury and Thunder Bay for information since Giammichele had been residing in the area for some time.
“I won’t get into the specifics as to why he was up there,” Bereziuk remarked.
“That’s where he was recently … he’s moved to Thunder Bay, and that’s where we caught up with him.”
Bakir was Hamilton’s seventh homicide of 2018. Nine people fell victim to homicides in the city that year.
Anyone with information on Bakir’s murder can reach out to Hamilton Police Homicide or Crime Stoppers.
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