'It could happen anywhere': Police believe homicide victim mistakenly shot as part of ongoing gang conflict

Edmonton police say the death of a man in the Londonderry area last month is a case of mistaken identity.

On March 15, Osama Ibrahim Sagaare, 20, who has been identified by the Edmonton Police Service as Usama Ibrahinadan, was on his way to work around 6:15 a.m. in the area of 72 Street north of 144 Avenue when he was fatally shot.

His father gave him CPR while he waited for an ambulance to arrive.

He died of his injuries at the scene and his death was ruled a homicide.

Police now say they believe his death is related to the killings of Mohamed Fofanah, 20, and Mya Abialmouna, 21, on March 7.

Fofanah and Abialmouna had been involved in a minor collision, and were waiting, along with the other party — a family with an infant — for police to arrive on scene when they were shot multiple times in their vehicle.

They died on scene.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Police held a news conference on Tuesday to provide information on the connection between the three deaths.

Detectives believe Fofanah and Abialmouna were targeted, and Ibrahinadan may have been mistaken as one of Fofanah's close friends, who lived in the same building as Ibrahinadan.

"We believe he was the intended target in the Ibrahinadan murder," Acting Staff Sgt. Jared Buhler told reporters, later confirming the male no longer lives in that building.

"It is believed the murders of Fofanah, Abialmouna, and Ibrahinadan are related to an ongoing conflict involving retaliatory violence between Edmonton-based groups," Buhler said. "There remains significant concern for future violence."

Buhler said drugs are related to the conflict.

"I think it’s safe to say that drugs are a part of the ongoing gang problem, whether it's these individuals, or any other group. That's the commodity that fuels the business," he said.

"Drugs are the root of all evil right now in Edmonton."

Buhler said other violent crimes committed in the city are likely tied to the shootings, but police are not releasing any further information at this point.

"There have been other recent violent incidents that probably relate to these occurrences, and we’re looking at all of those, but we can't draw solid lines at this point."

Police have not recovered the firearms used in either of the shootings.

Buhler confirmed a handgun was used to kill Ibrahinadan, but would not confirm the make or calibre.

VIDEO OF IBRAHINADAN'S KILLER

Police say this male shot Usama Ibrahinadan on March 15, 2023.

On Tuesday, police also released video of the shooter and two other people of interest in the Ibrahinadan killing.

Buhler said the killer is a Black male of medium build, and was wearing a Hugo brand sweatsuit, as well as black Yeezy shoes with a "Bed JW Ford" logo. 

File photo of Yeezy shoes with “Bed JW Ford” logo worn by the shooter. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)

Before the shooting, the shooter is seen on video with two other males: a tall, slim, Black male wearing a blue Jeune Studios brand tracksuit, and a male in a black, fur-trimmed parka, red Adidas track pants and red and white Air Jordan shoes.

Buhler described the male in the Adidas pants as small in stature and walking with a noticeable right-leg limp.

File photos of Adidas track pants and Air Jordan shoes worn by a person of interest. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)

The blue tracksuit is believed to be a unique product, only made in limited quantities in Edmonton and sold through Instagram and one retail location, Buhler said.

Photo of Jeune Studios tracksuit worn by person of interest. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)

The Hugo jumpsuit is also believed to be fairly rare in Edmonton, and was only sold in two local locations in 2021, he added.

Police do not know if the two males seen in the video with the shooter were involved with the killing of Ibrahinadan, but they would like to speak to them.

The video is made up of shots taken over a large period of time, and police say the persons of interest were not with the shooter when Ibrahinadan was killed.

Buhler spoke directly to the two males at the news conference on Tuesday.

"You did not shoot Usama Ibrahinadan. Your role and jeopardy in this murder remains subject to inquiry. We urge you to identify yourself to this investigation. You're uniquely positioned to identify Usama Ibrahinadan's killer. You'll be treated fairly."

Investigators also can't say for sure if the male who shot Ibrahinadan is the same person who shot Fofanah and Abialmouna.

"Obviously it’s a possibility, but the evidence we have at this point is not specific enough to say that at all," Buhler said, adding all three males from the video should be considered armed and dangerous.

THREAT OF VIOLENCE

Buhler warned on Tuesday the conflict between the two groups involved in the shootings is likely to continue, and says there's a real risk to the public.

"They're two opposing groups who know of one another, but don't necessarily know where to find one another," he said. "When an opportunity presents itself, they take it. So this could happen anywhere. It could happen in a mall. It could happen at a party."

He says the family who was on scene when Fofanah and Abialmouna were killed were lucky to avoid injury.

"They were waiting for the police to respond to investigate the collision, which caused Fofanah to be a sitting duck, for lack of a better term. Whoever was looking for him found him at that intersection."

"Without any warning, somebody who wanted to do harm to them came across them and opened fire in proximity to an infant child."

In the death of Ibrahinadan, police believe an innocent person has already become a victim.

"These individuals here were waiting for their target to come out for several hours, and Usama Ibrahinadan happened to come out to go to work and in their minds, we believe, was somebody else. So they took the opportunity."

Buhler said police are struggling to keep up with the amount of violent crime in the community.

"The chief spoke to this last week. He said, 'We have a drug and violence problem in this city,' and we most certainly do."

"I've never seen a situation like this before. We're strained down at our office to investigate these homicides."

Anyone with information about the people in the video or the death of Ibrahinadan is asked to call Edmonton police at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Sean Amato.