Omer Niaz Muhammad, a rising Canadian rap artist with thousands of followers online, was tragically killed last night in what police suspect was a targeted attack.
Halton Regional Police confirmed that 24-year-old Burlington resident Omer Niaz Muhammad, known as rapper Lil OT, lost his life in a shooting at the parking lot of Kelsey’s located at Burlington Centre.
Muhammad had released two albums since 2023 and boasted over 27,000 followers on Instagram. He had previously survived a drive-by shooting in 2023 at his family home in Hamilton, according to The Spec.
During a press conference on Tuesday morning, Constable Jeff Dillon stated that police believe the shooting was intentional.
“We do believe this was a targeted incident and we do not believe there is any known risk to public safety,” he said.
The victim was shot at 10:10 p. m. and later transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Authorities are currently searching for two suspects who escaped in a white SUV. No details about the suspects have been released yet.
The motive behind the shooting is still unclear as investigators work to establish the connection between the victim and the suspects and whether this incident relates to other shootings in Halton.
Police are appealing for anyone who might have video footage or information from that time to assist with their investigation.
Halton police Cst. Jeff Dillon mentioned they are looking for two suspects who drove off in a white SUV. Chris Arnold/Burlington Today
“Unfortunately one young man lost his life,” Dillon said. “When you are in a wide open parking lot like this and a gun is fired, it was lucky that nobody else was struck. It shows a rampant disregard for anyone else who may have been here.”
Fans and friends expressed their grief on Lil OT’s Instagram page with heartfelt messages.
“Rest in peace, brother,” one person wrote while others shared dove and broken heart emojis.
A shopper at the mall said she couldn’t believe what happened.
“You hear about these things in bigger cities, but you’re not expecting it to happen in your community,” she said.
This marks Burlington’s first homicide of the year.
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