80-Year-Old Man Dies Following Incident Near Oshawa Mosque

Durham police say they are looking into a homicide after an elderly man was discovered injured and later passed away next to an Oshawa mosque on Thursday, just hours after leaving the building.

Officers responded to a report of unknown trouble around 4:20 p. m. near Simcoe Street S. and Mc Grigor Street when they found the man, police mentioned in a news release on Friday.

He showed “obvious signs of trauma” and died at the scene, according to police.

Authorities have identified the victim as Ibrahim Bala, 80, from Oshawa.

It’s too soon to determine if the incident was motivated by hate, Const. Nicholas Gluckstein told reporters on Friday.

No suspect information is available at this time, he stated.

Gluckstein chose not to share specifics about Bala’s injuries.

Police say they have a large presence in the area as officers investigate. (Christian D’Avino/CBC)

The victim was “a very dear community brother,” said the Islamic Centre of Oshawa in a statement on Friday, which did not mention Bala by name.

“We encourage the community not to speculate at this point as to the motivations of the attacker(s),” read the statement, noting that the mosque is in close contact with law enforcement.

The investigation remains ongoing, according to police.

“We understand that this incident has had a significant impact on members of the Muslim community and the broader public,” police said in a social media post on Thursday.

“Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family, friends, and all those affected.”

Investigators will keep in touch with both community members and leaders from the Islamic Centre of Oshawa to make sure this case is handled “with sensitivity, respect and transparency,” added their post.

Too early to say if incident was hate-motivated: police

Bala left the mosque around 2:30 p. m. on Thursday, Gluckstein noted.

Later he was found on private residential property “immediately beside” the mosque, Gluckstein explained.

<p“At this time, it's just too early to speculate whether hate motivation plays any part in this investigation but it's something we consider as part of the motives, and it's something that our investigators will be looking at,” he stated.

<

An increased police presence will be seen in the area during their investigation, Gluckstein indicated.

If anyone was around or noticed any suspicious activity between 2:30 p. m. and 4:20 p. m. Thursday is encouraged to reach out to authorities or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.

Witnesses can also provide cellphone footage or dash cam recordings along with surveillance videos if available.

The victim had lived in Oshawa since the 1970s: councillor

This marks Durham Region’s seventh homicide for this year.
City councillor Derek Giberson represents Bala’s ward; he visited there Thursday night and heard community members sharing their memories about him.
Bala had made Oshawa his home since back in the 1970s; Giberson mentioned.
He would often be “the first to be a friend” for newcomers moving into Oshawa while helping them settle down here,
Giberson expressed his focus on supporting mosque members during this time as investigations continue.
“They’ve always shown that they have big hearts and open hands whenever there are others that need help,” he commented.
Bala was described as a father, husband and respected member within his local circle by Const. Gluckstein while speaking with journalists.

Source link