Police obtain warrant in hunt for alleged shooter in Perron homicide

By Rebecca Kiriakopoulos

Ottawa Police have obtained a nation-wide arrest warrant for Ali Omar Mohamed, who has been charged in the death of the capital’s third homicide victim of the year, Adam Perron.

Perron was shot at about 6 a.m. on Jan. 18 inside an Ottawa Community Housing apartment building at 125 McLeod St., just blocks away from the Ottawa Police headquarters on Elgin Street.

Perron himself had had a few run-ins with the police. Last August, he was charged with two counts of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. The charges alleged that Perron was a drug dealer. He also has been convicted of impaired driving, but no further criminal record.

Mohamed is referred to on the streets as “Simba” and is considered by the Ottawa Police to be armed and dangerous. Investigators have warned members of the public to call police and not to approach Mohamed if they encounter him.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Ali Omar Mohamed is urged to call the Ottawa Police major crime unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493.

Perron’s death was one of numerous shootings across the city in January, a spike in the number of violent incidents that has local politicians and community leaders raising alarms about the situation.

On Feb. 1, Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau highlighted Perron’s death and the warrant for Mohamed in a statement about the rash of violence in the city so far this year.

“Since the start of 2018, we have seen 13 shootings in Ottawa resulting in several injuries and two deaths,” Bordeleau said.

“The evidence so far links these shootings to a small number of criminals. These persons of interest are often involved in drug trafficking and other serious criminal offences. They are using weapons for protection, retribution and intimidation,” he added. “Every incident is being investigated and we are following up on all leads. Our investigators are working to hold those responsible accountable.”