Dad Pleads For Son's Killer To Turn Himself In

Need to get 'bad guys' off street

Ahmed Abdikarim "Antar Jenyo"pleads for son's killer to turn himself in

By DON PEAT

Toronto, Canada, March 18, 2008 - The father of Abdikarim Ahmed Abdikarim made a passionate appeal for the Lawrence Heights community to help solve his son's cold-blooded murder.

Ahmed Abdikarim, speaking publicly for the first time since Friday's shooting, asked for witnesses to come forward to help police.

The grieving father, a former Somali soccer star, fought back tears as he gave his reasons for speaking out.

"We need for the future to be safe for the children," Abdikarim told the Sun yesterday.

"We need to get those bad guys or bad guy off the street," family friend Abdi Warsame said.

"We need to get those bad guys or bad guy brought to justice.

"You did this crime, please turn yourself in."

Ahmed Abdikarim, a cab driver, last saw his 18-year-old son, Toronto's 11th murder victim of 2008, Friday afternoon and remembers how happy he was because he had just got his G-licence.

Hours later, his son, known as Kareem to friends, was gunned down in front of a Lawrence Heights housing complex -- the callous slaying was caught on security footage that was released yesterday by police as part of their appeal for witnesses to help solve the murder.

Drawing on his faith, Abdikarim said he couldn't be sad because Allah had given his son's life and now he had taken it away.

"God he gave me that gift and he take it," he said.

Abdikarim, who played for Somalia's national team for 10 years, brought his family to Canada in the late 1980s for a better life.

"That's what we needed but we don't got it," he said.

Kareem was born in Toronto soon after -- all six children spared from the horrors of the Somali civil war.

A steady stream of family and friends came in and out of the family's home yesterday preparing for today's funeral.

Friends described Abdikarim as a happy teenager who enjoyed joking around with friends.

Source: Cnews