Three people have been arrested in connection with the September 2021 shooting of 18-year-old Yua Blut Kaw in Hamilton’s city centre.
Kaw, a student from Bernie Custis Secondary, was shot to death on a sidewalk around 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2021, on Cannon Street between Barnesdale Avenue North and Lottridge Street.
Investigators say the victim was walking on the street when he was approached by a dark-coloured, four-door sedan and hit by bullets fired by a single shooter in the car.
The victim was taken to hospital by paramedics where he was pronounced dead.
It was the city’s 15th homicide of 2021.
Police say three individuals tied to the murder were arrested on Thursday with the assistance of the Ottawa Police Service as search warrants were executed in both Hamilton and Ottawa.
Nejib Ahmed Nour, 27, as well as Abdaziz Ibrahim Omer, 20, have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kaw.
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A 17-year-old has also been accused of a similar offence under the Youth Criminal Act.
Det. Sgt. Jim Callender says the shooting of Kaw is connected to two others in the city, one in mid-Sept. of 2021 on King Street West at Caroline North and an early August 2021 incident in Upper Stoney Creek.
Previously, police said the suspects arrested in the targeted shooting deaths of 17-year-old Keden Bond and 19-year-old Sabir Hassen Omer were all known to each other.
Callender believes Kaw’s murder is in retaliation to Omer’s death, Sept. 14, 2021, near the Tim Horton’s on King Street West at Caroline North.
“It looks like there was two groups of individuals … having disagreements,” Callender said at a June 13 press conference.
“I would call them at best, an unsophisticated gang or a group of young individuals who are disputing over most likely drug territory.”
He went on to say that although Kaw was targeted in his shooting death, the then 18-year-old is believed to have had no direct involvement with the groups in the dispute.
Homicide detectives believe two of the three accused in Kaw’s murder were in the vehicle during the late Sept. shooting.
Kaw’s family has been regularly in contact with police over the last few months, according to Callender, who said there was “great joy” for investigators in being able to reach out and announce arrests.
“So this was a nice little closing factor to them,” Callender said.
“Obviously, we all want to see a resolution such as this for somebody. People being held accountable for their actions, but for the family, it was just a little bit of closure.”
The investigation is ongoing in all three shooting incidents, according to Hamilton Police.
Anyone with information can reach out to investigators or Crime Stoppers.
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