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Hassan Ali, 26, was acquitted of murder last fall for a deadly 2021 shooting after a judge dismissed social media evidence against him
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Toronto rapper Top5, who made headlines when he was acquitted of murder last fall for a deadly 2021 shooting, is among two men busted on gun charges in Markham.
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Toronto Police say officers from 53 Division’s Major Crime Unit initiated an investigation that led to the execution of a search warrant in the area of Enterprise Blvd. and Birchmount Rd. – north of Hwy. 407 – on Friday.
Two suspects were subsequently identified and arrested after a firearm was seized during the search, Const. Ashley Visser said Saturday.
Hassan Ali, 26, aka Top5, is charged with careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device; possession of a weapon; unauthorized possession of a firearm; possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized; and possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition.
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Top5 had been wanted by Toronto cops for months when he was nabbed in Los Angeles, California, and later extradited back to Canada in February 2022 to face a first-degree murder charge for the killing of Hashim Omar Hashi.
Hashi, 20, who had no criminal record or gang affiliations, was gunned down as he drove his car into the garage of an apartment building near Jane St. and Falstaff Ave. – south of Hwy. 401 – just before 9 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2021.
Top 5 was initially arrested in Windsor a couple of weeks after the murder and charged with accessory after the fact to murder and failing to comply with a probation order.
He was released on bail soon after and ordered to wear an ankle monitor.
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And by the time police decided to upgrade his charge to first-degree murder in May 2021, Hassan Ali was nowhere to be found – although he did make repeated appearances on Instagram to check in with his fans.
While he was in custody awaiting trial after his arrest in Los Angeles in October 2021 and subsequent return to Toronto to face the murder charge, Top5 took to social media to post a sneak peek of a new video for his track “21 Questions,” which showed him dancing around his jail in an orange jumpsuit while rapping lyrics such as, “I was 18 when I bought a gun, 22 when I shot your son.”
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However, the case against the rapper was tossed and he was released from custody after a judge dismissed social media evidence against him in September 2024.
But on Friday he was back in custody, along with his co-accused Yasin Ali, 29, who is not related to Hassan Ali.
Yasin Ali is charged with careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device; possession of a weapon; unauthorized possession of a firearm; possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized; possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition; and possession of a firearm while prohibited.
Both accused, who are Toronto residents, were scheduled to appear in court for bail hearings on Saturday.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to call police at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
cdoucette@postmedia.com
@sundoucette
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