Convicted Aria bar shooter gets 10-year parole ineligibility

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On Aug. 21, 2020, 30-year-old Logan Nayneecassum received a life sentence when he was shot in the leg and left to die inside the doors of a since-closed restaurant and bar in Saskatoon’s Rosewood neighbourhood.

Now, the man who shot him will serve his own life sentence, Justice Mona Dovell said before delivering her sentencing decision last week.

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On Dec. 14, 2023, a Saskatoon King’s Bench jury found Afrah Ahmed Abdi (Ali), 35, guilty of second-degree murder. They found he was a regular named “Tax” who was captured on security footage firing a handgun at Nayneecassum after a fight broke out between two groups just as Aria Food and Spirits was closing around 3 a.m.

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Identity was the key issue at Abdi’s trial. The defence argued the Crown did not definitively prove that Abdi and “Tax” are the same person.

Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence. Parole eligibility can be set between 10 and 25 years.

A sentencing hearing took place on Jan 26. Crown prosecutor Mike Pilon argued that Abdi should be eligible for parole after 15 years, but Dovell agreed with defence lawyer Leo Adler’s argument for the minimum of 10 years.

She said she considered the jury’s recommendations on parole eligibility, Abdi’s personal circumstances, and the circumstances of the shooting.

It’s not known what led to the fight. On a surveillance video played in court, Nayneecassum is seen stepping in to help his friend, who was the target of Abdi’s rage.

“What is particularly troubling to the court is Logan being shot as he was holding his hands up, being a threat to no one,” Dovell said.

“That picture of Logan with his hands up, just before being shot by Mr. Abdi, is very significant to the court.”

Court heard how Abdi came to the United States with his family from Somalia in 1995. He later moved to Canada and divided his time living with family in Toronto and Virginia. Dovell said it’s not known what brought him to Saskatchewan.

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Abdi was arrested multiple times while living in Alberta, resulting in mug shots from 2009, 2010 and 2011, Dovell said in her decision. In 2012, he was charged with cocaine trafficking and was wanted for breaching his release conditions at the time of Nayneecassum’s murder. The charges were later stayed during an extradition hearing in 2021. He had been arrested in Montana after a Canada-wide warrant was issued a day after the shooting.

Dovell noted how Abdi’s prior criminal record is only comprised of convictions for breaching release orders.

“In fact, I have no evidence before me of any previous acts of violence on the part of Mr. Abdi before Logan’s murder,” she said.

Dovell said she also considered support letters from Abdi’s family members, some who attended his trial, and victim impact statements from Nayneecassum’s family members.

She cited a line about Nayneecassum that particularly stood out to her.

“I know our beloved Logan would be saying ‘Settle down, don’t get mad, it’s OK’ with his contagious laugh, as he never liked confrontation. So if we can ever come around to forgiving (Abdi), it would be from the help of hearing Logan’s voice saying ‘It’s OK’. ”

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As part of his sentence, Abdi — who wasn’t authorized to possess a loaded handgun — is banned from possessing any firearms, crossbows, prohibited or restricted weapons for the rest of his life.

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