A 26-year-old man was shot dead in the ByWard Market Thursday in the city’s second murder in three days.
Police are now calling the shooting death of Mohamed Jama Ali the city’s third homicide of 2009.
At 1:13 a.m., police were called to 56 ByWard Market Square, where two men were shot.
“It was a bit chaotic,” said Ottawa paramedic spokesman J.P. Trottier, who said there were about 100 people there.
Paramedics found a 26-year-old with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, said Trottier.
Trottier said paramedics lost the pulse on the victim shortly before he was transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Paramedics also treated a 39-year-old area man for a gunshot wound to the arm. He is in stable condition at Ottawa Civic Hospital.
56 ByWard Market Square has three bars — Bar 56, The Mercury, and The Collection.
Police closed off ByWard Market Square between York and George Streets until Thursday afternoon to search for evidence, looking in sewers and around vendor cages, sifting through garbage receptacles, and lifting manhole covers, “all standard procedure for this type of incident,” said Ottawa police Const. J.P. Vincelette.
No suspects have been arrested and the investigation is ongoing, Vincelette said.
Mike Bedard didn’t hear about the murder until he arrived for work yesterday at Sasloves Meat Market two doors down from the incident. He said he’s not worried for his safety.
Across the street, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory employee Megan Foster said she heard that people were throwing beer bottles around the time of the incident.
“It worries me a little,” she said. “The bad area is spreading. I used to live in the area and it seems to be getting worse.”
Anyone who comes to the ByWard Market on a regular basis knows that this is an isolated incident, said Jasna Jennings, executive director of the ByWard Market Business Improvement Area.
“Nothing like this has happened for years in the market.”
