2 dead, 6 injured in shooting at Ottawa wedding reception

Ottawa police are investigating a Saturday night shooting at a wedding reception that left two Toronto men dead and injured six others.

Acting Duty Insp. Amy Bond said police responded to reports of gunfire at about 10:21 p.m. Saturday in the city's south end. 

The victims were attending a reception at the Infinity Convention Centre on the 2900 block of Gibford Drive, off Hunt Club Road near the Ottawa International Airport.

Four hours after the reported shots, police stated there were no further threats to public safety.

The two victims were identified Sunday afternoon as 26-year-old Said Mohamed Ali and 29-year-old Abdishakur Abdi-Dahir, both from Toronto.

Ottawa police had made no arrests as of Sunday afternoon and did not have a description of any suspects.

"This violence is tragic. It's unacceptable," Bond said. "It's disturbing for our entire community."

The investigation is in its early stages and there is no information so far to indicate whether there was "any specific community targeted," Bond said, adding police currently have no information to suggest the shooting should be investigated as a hate crime.

"All investigative angles are being explored," police said in their Sunday afternoon media release. "At this stage, there is no indication that this was a hate-motivated shooting."

Ottawa paramedic spokesman Marc-Antoine Deschamps said the six people who were injured were not in life-threatening condition.

Saturday night's shooting "cannot be described as anything less than a tragedy," wrote Anu Sohal, a representative with the convention centre, in an email to Radio-Canada.

"Our hearts break for the victims and their families," Sohal wrote.

"The members of the Infinity Convention Centre are actively assisting local authorities and their investigation. No other comments will be provided while the investigation is ongoing."

'No place in our community'

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley, who represents the area, called the news "terrible."

"This has no place in our community," she said. "There is no tolerance for this kind of violence, and I hope that those involved and those who may know something share with police. And that we are able to solve this quickly."

The Hunt Club Community Association's board said it was "shocked and saddened" by the shooting.

"The Infinity Convention Centre is in our neighborhood, and we are proud to live in a safe, welcoming neighborhood," the association's president, Audrey Bélanger Baur, said in an email on behalf of the board. "There is no excuse for violence. It does not belong here and we encourage anyone who may have information to contact the authorities."

The homicides are the 11th and 12th that Ottawa police have reported this year.

Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact their homicide unit at 613-236-1222 x 5493. They are specifically asking for information from anyone with cell phone, dash cam or security video of the area from between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

"If there is any information and evidence that you can provide, please bring it forward because that really does assist us," said Bond.