York Regional Police say a husband and father of four killed inside his Vaughan home early Sunday morning was fatally shot by a suspect in front of his children.
Officers were called to a residence on Andreeta Drive near Major MacKenzie Drive and Highway 27 around 1 a.m. on Aug. 31. When they arrived, they found 46-year-old Abdul Aleem Farooqi suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
CityNews first reported that Farooqi was killed in front of his children during the violent home invasion.
“[One of the alleged intruders] got the daughters at gunpoint. He brought them upstairs. That is when [Farooqi] saw that the other intruder was having a physical interaction. He was just shot, right there,” said family friend Ehsan Malik. “As far as I know, he shot him twice.
“It was in front of his daughters. All three of his daughters the intruder was bringing upstairs at gunpoint. They locked his son in a bedroom, and his wife was trying to run away,” added Malik.
Investigators believe three male suspects, dressed in dark-coloured clothing with their faces covered, forced their way into the home before fleeing the area. No arrests have been made.
“At this time, it is believed this house was targeted for a robbery,” said Paolo Fiore of York Regional Police’s homicide unit. “Monetary gain only. Mr. Farooqi was not involved in criminal activities. He was respected, a great family man, and loved by his community.”
Police are asking neighbours to check their security cameras and contact investigators with any information.
“The motive is being established,” Fiore said. “We believe [the suspects] were in the house for a home invasion to take valuables.”
Vigil held in Vaughan’s man honour
Police said a second home invasion was carried out in York Region that same morning on Aug. 31. Investigators are reviewing evidence to see if these two crimes are linked.
More than 200 people gathered in Vaughan for a vigil on Monday night to pay their respects, with news of the senseless killing continuing to shake the community.
Friends told CityNews that Farooqi was a devoted husband and father who was active in his neighbourhood.
“He was the most noble man,” said family friend Wasib Dheendsa. “Truly the embodiment, the full embodiment of that. As tragic as it was, we aren’t surprised that he went as a hero. As a man who protected his family until the very last moment.”
“He was a man of faith, charity and community,” another family friend said, adding that his death has left loved ones shaken.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford addressed the situation at a press conference on Tuesday.
“This innocent man got his doors kicked in in the middle of the night,” Premier Ford said. “And these scumbags shot him right in front of his kids.”
Victim’s brother speaks with CityNews following tragedy
Naeem Farooqi tells CityNews that he hosted his brother for a family meal hours before Aleem was fatally shot inside his Vaughan home.
“He spent the night before at my house. We had a family dinner, and he left late in the evening. I now realize that was his last meal with his family. The people he loved,” said Naeem Farooqi. “He left, I waved, and that was it.”
York Regional Police continue to treat the incident as a targeted homicide, but have not released information on a possible motive.
“I just watched a school bus go by and unload a child. I was wondering if my niece or nephew should have been on that bus [Tuesday]. Their lives have forever been impacted,” added Naeem Farooqi.