In a gruesome home invasion in Hamilton, Canada, a Pakistani-origin man was found dead in the middle of the night on Thursday, while two family members were left critically injured. The target of the kidnapping, according to authorities, was 63-year-old Faqir Ali.
Ali’s two adult sons were shot while attempting to defend their father.
According to the CBC news, Ali was “taken forcefully” from his house between Glancaster Road and Dickenson Road in Mount Hope about 3 a.m. ET.
He was subsequently discovered with severe, life-threatening injuries on Beach Boulevard near the Burlington Lift Bridge, according to Hamilton police spokesman Const Indy Bharaj.
One of his two sons, who is thought to be in his twenties, died in the hospital from life-threatening gunshot wounds, while the other sibling underwent surgery.
According to a team of investigators, the attack was a targeted attack, with evidence that “multiple people were involved.”
However, authorities are still trying to figure out why the assault happened. “Our understanding is that there were multiple people involved,” Bharaj said. Police also believe a dark SUV was involved.
Pakistani community shocked
The community has been startled and appalled by the recent attack on the Pakistani community in the nation.
Zahid Butt, founding director and senior vice-president of the Pakistani Business Association of Hamilton, told CBC News that, “Our family, we know each other and he calls me sometimes because … we would sometimes just connect with each other regarding community matters.”
He claimed he’s been getting calls from members of the Pakistani community all day, and they’re “very upset.”
Ali was a lifelong Hamilton citizen who was well-known, according to Usman Khan, founder and former chairman of the Jinnah Cultural Society of Hamilton.”
He’s very nice, humble, courteous and always invites people to his place. He’s a very hospitable person,” Khan added. Hate crimes against Muslims in Canada have grown 253 percent between 2012 and 2015.
In a mosque last year, a caretaker was stabbed and murdered.
According to reports, the perpetrator was motivated by neo-Nazi social media postings.
According to a 2016 survey, 41% of Canadian people have some degree of prejudice towards racial groupings, with Muslims receiving the most unfavorable rating at 28%.
