Between 1990 and 2025, at least 19 Somali-Canadians were killed in Canada, their names publicly reported by Canadian news outlets and police sources. These deaths, concentrated in cities such as Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Windsor, and Brooks, reveal how deeply violence has affected this community.
It is important to note that this list may not capture every case. Our research relied only on publicly available Canadian sources where the victims were explicitly identified as Somali or Somali-Canadian. Some deaths may not have been reported with that detail, meaning the true number could be higher.
This post compiles the confirmed names, years, and locations we found, verified through outlets such as CBC, Global News, CTV, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, and RCMP releases. It serves both as a factual resource and a remembrance of lives lost.
Methodology & Disclaimer
This list is based on a review of publicly available Canadian sources — including CBC, Global News, CTV, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, RCMP releases, and other official reports.
- Only cases where the victim was explicitly identified as Somali or Somali-Canadian were included.
- Cases without confirmed Somali identification, or those reported only by international sources, were excluded.
- This means the list may not be exhaustive. Some deaths may not have been publicly reported with this level of detail, and therefore may not appear here.
- The goal is to provide a verified, factual record that honours the lives lost while maintaining transparency about the limits of the available data.
We welcome community members, journalists, and researchers to share additional verified information, enabling this record to remain up-to-date.
Why This Report Matters
For years, Somali-Canadian families and community organizations have called attention to a quiet crisis: young Somali men and women are disproportionately represented among homicide victims, with many cases unsolved.
Reports like CBC’s Another Day, Another Funeral and Edmonton’s Journey for Justice have highlighted systemic challenges, including strained trust with police and the lack of official ethnicity-based homicide tracking.
By consolidating named victims from public sources, this blog serves as both a memorial and a call for accountability.
Confirmed Somali-Canadian Deaths in Canada (1990–2025)
Below is a table of 19 confirmed cases. Each entry includes the victim’s name, year, city, short description, and source link.
| Victim full name | Year | City/Province | Short description | Source | Link URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdinasir Abdulkadir Dirie | 2010 | Fort McMurray, AB | 19-year-old murdered in apartment complex | Global News | READ MORE |
| Yusuf Abdirahim | 2011 | Edmonton, AB | 20-year-old died from head injuries | CBC News | READ MORE |
| Aden Ahmed | 2012 | Edmonton, AB | 24-year-old stabbed during altercation | Global News | READ MORE |
| Abdulkadir Bihi | 2014 | Toronto, ON | 29-year-old shot in broad daylight visiting mother | CBC News | READ MORE |
| Zakariye Ali | 2014 | Toronto, ON | 16-year-old fatally shot in school parking lot | CBC News | READ MORE |
| Samatar Farah | 2014 | Toronto, ON | 24-year-old victim of targeted shooting | CBC News | READ MORE |
| Murat Omar | 2015 | Calgary, AB | 23-year-old found dead in alley | CBC/CTV News | READ MORE |
| Abdullahi Ahmed | 2015 | Calgary, AB | 27-year-old killed in shooting at house party | CBC News | READ MORE |
| Mustafa Mattan | 2015 | Fort McMurray, AB | Shot through apartment door; case unsolved | CBC/Yahoo News | READ MORE |
| Natasha Farah | 2015 | Calgary, AB | Innocent bystander killed outside restaurant | CBC News | READ MORE |
| Nooredin Hassan | 2016 | Ottawa, ON | 20-year-old shot and killed | CBC News | READ MORE |
| Amin Mohammed Abdullahi | 2016 | Edmonton, AB | 30-year-old shot outside nightclub | CBC/Yahoo News | READ MORE |
| Mohamed Jama Abdi | 2023 | Brooks, AB | Body found by cattle farmer; homicide investigation ongoing | RCMP/Global News | READ MORE |
| Egal Daud | 2019 | Ottawa, ON | 30-year-old Somali man found dead in car; homicide probe | CBC/Ottawa Citizen | READ MORE |
| Nasiba Noor | 2022 | Ottawa, ON | 29-year-old Somali woman killed in housing co-op | Ottawa Citizen/CBC | READ MORE |
| Asma Noor | 2022 | Ottawa, ON | 32-year-old Somali woman killed in housing co-op | Ottawa Citizen/CBC | READ MORE |
| Sahra Bulle | 2023 | Windsor, ON | Somali-Canadian woman killed in intimate partner homicide | CBC Windsor | READ MORE |
| Suado Egal | 2025 | Ottawa, ON | Reported missing, later confirmed deceased; funeral fundraiser launched | Ottawa Police / Community/ CT Somali | READ MORE |
Patterns and Observations
Urban concentration: Most cases occurred in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Windsor, and Brooks.
Time clusters: Although many deaths occurred within the 2010–2016 window, recent cases (2022–2025) indicate that the crisis persists.
Types of violence:
- Shootings and stabbings (youth and men)
- Gender-based violence (e.g., Sahra Bulle, intimate partner homicide)
- Unsolved or suspicious disappearances (e.g., Suado Egal)
Unsolved cases: Several remain open, including Mustafa Mattan in Fort McMurray.
Community Response and Advocacy
Youth Leaps (Toronto): Produced the first Somali homicide database.
Journey for Justice (Edmonton): Report + documentary highlighting 70+ unsolved Somali homicides in Alberta.
Somali mothers and advocates: Have consistently demanded police accountability and fairer media representation.
Grassroots fundraising and remembrance efforts: as seen in the cases of Suado Egal and Sahra Bulle, demonstrate how community networks mobilize in times of tragedy.
FAQ: Somali-Canadian Deaths in Canada (1990–2025)
How many Somali-Canadians were killed in Canada between 1990 and 2025?
A review of Canadian news and police sources from 1990 to 2025 identified at least 18 confirmed, named cases of Somali or Somali-Canadian individuals whose deaths were publicly reported. The true number could be higher, but only explicitly documented cases were included.
Which cities have the most Somali-Canadian homicide cases?
The documented cases are concentrated in major urban centres, especially Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Windsor, and Brooks, where Somali-Canadian communities are most visible.
Are most Somali-Canadian homicide cases solved?
No. According to a CBC investigation, nearly half of Somali homicide cases in Toronto between 2004 and 2014 remained unsolved, compared to 30% of cases overall. In Alberta, a John Humphrey Centre report estimated more than 70 unsolved murders of Somali men and youth since 2005.
What role has the community played in documenting these cases?
Because police and official agencies do not track homicide victims by ethnicity, Somali-Canadian groups have led their own documentation efforts. For example, Youth Leaps in Toronto built the city’s first Somali homicide victim database. In Edmonton, the Journey for Justice report and documentary were produced by community organizations to highlight unsolved murders and push for accountability.
