One of the three men involved in the deadly daytime shooting that killed an innocent woman outside of a community health centre in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Ahmed Mustafa Ibrahim, now 22, admitted in court on Monday that by participating in a robbery outside of South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) on July 7, 2023, he “created an objectively dangerous situation which posed a risk of bodily harm.” In this instance, it led to the death of Karolina Huebner-Makurat, a wife and mother of two daughters.
The facts supporting Ibrahim’s plea, obtained by CTV News Toronto, state he had regularly spent time outside SRCHC and became known as “Ben” by the centre’s staff.
A “safe injection site” was operating out of that health centre, where needles and supplies were provided to those who were using drugs, primarily fentanyl. The court document stated that this site created a “market” for drug dealers who would primarily sell fentanyl, setting up shop in the courtyard west of the centre and east of the Queen Street East Presbyterian Church.
Ibrahim had text conversations with a drug dealer two days before the incident, according to the document. Part of the conversation was considered particularly significant, as the “man in the white t-shirt” texted Ibrahim believing one of this “associates” robbed him.
“I don’t care about jail or cameras buddy robbed me” the text message reads. “I don’t need to plan ill up it on site anywhere.”
These texts Hudson allegedly sent, as well as others he texted to a SRCHC worker, Khalila Mohammed, indicated he would “respond with deadly force if he was robbed.” Mohammed, who pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the crime of manslaughter last December, shared the texts to Ibrahim. Mohammed is facing a conditional sentence of two years less a day and 100 hours of community service.
The “man in the white T-shirt” was identified by civilians and police as Damian Hudson, the co-accused charged with second-degree murder. A third suspect, identified as Ahmed Ali, is still wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for manslaughter, robbery and failure to comply with probation. Investigators have previously said Ali fled to Somalia.
The facts state Ibrahim was seen on surveillance footage speaking with Hudson, at a park bench in the courtyard. At around 12:30 p.m., a man dressed in all got off a TTC bus at Queen Street East and Carlaw Avenue and approached Ibrahim. This suspect was referred to as the “man in black” for the purposes of Ibrahim’s plea.
In that footage, the man in all black ran toward the man in the white T-shirt and “began attacking” him with Ibrahim.
“At some point, the man in black produced a handgun and repeatedly struck the man in the white T-shirt in the head,” the agreed statement of facts reads.
Ibrahim and the two other suspects “struggled over a satchel,” before he was able to grab onto it and run away, prompting another struggle to ensue.
As he fled the scene, a shootout erupted behind him between the two other suspects. Based off the footage, the facts state that it does not appear Ibrahim was armed during the encounter.
Huebner-Makurat was on her way to meet a friend for lunch and was crossing Queen Street when a stray bullet fired during the shootout struck her right side, going through her kidney, liver and aorta, before killing her.
The 44-year-old woman fell to the ground, the facts state, and despite best efforts to save her life, Huebner-Makurat died.
Six cartridge cases were found in the area: four from a .40-calibre handgun and two from a .22 calibre handgun, according to court documents. These documents allege Hudson fired the shot that killed Huebner-Makurat.
While Ibrahim submit a guilty plea for his participation in the robbery, he does not acknowledge that the robbery was pre-mediated.
“The Crown will endeavour to prove that as an aggravating fact at a Gardiner hearing,” the facts reads.
Hudson is due in court next week.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Beth Macdonell and CP24’s Codi Wilson