04/29/2026
Firearm used in killing of Hamilton teen still missing, say police
Victim Nabil Askafe was shot Friday evening at Jackson Square
Hamilton police continue to search for the firearm involved in the fatal shooting that killed a teenage boy at Jackson Square mall last weekend and are calling on any witnesses with information to come forward.
Nabil Askafe, 16, was shot and killed at the downtown Hamilton mall Friday. He was a Westdale Secondary School student. On Monday, family, friends and community members gathered at the Hamilton Mountain Mosque for his funeral.
Also on Monday, the 14-year-old suspect in the case, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, appeared in court and was charged with second-degree murder. The suspect turned himself in on Sunday, police said.
Det. Robert Di Ianni of the homicide investigation unit told CBC Hamilton on Tuesday police have interviewed witnesses who were at the mall the day of the shooting and investigators are now focused on finding the gun that was involved.
“The gun is still outstanding, so we’re looking for any witnesses or people who know where that firearm is,” Di Ianni said.
“We’d like to get that firearm off the street.”
Di Ianni said at this point police don’t know how the 14-year-old got ahold of a gun and that’s part of the ongoing investigation.
“It’s a tragedy that a 16-year-old died, but it’s a tragedy that a 14-year-old can carry around a firearm like that,” he said.
Seven shots fired during incident
Di Ianni said at this time, police do not believe the knew each other, and details surrounding why an altercation may have started are still being investigated.
“There was a small interaction outside the mall and that led to the larger, sort of, altercation inside the mall,” he said.
“What led to that is still part of the ongoing investigation.”
Di Ianni confirmed seven gunshots were fired during the shooting.
He said the altercation involved four people, including Askafe and the accused. He described the incident as being a “two versus two” altercation and said police are still looking at evidence to get a clearer understanding of what happened.
Police have been reviewing video footage from throughout the downtown core and are now canvasing video from outside the downtown area in an effort to find the gun that was involved, he said. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Hamilton police or Crime Stoppers.
“The next steps right now are to determine where that gun went, we’d really like to know where that gun went. We really don’t need that gun out on the streets to harm someone else,” Di Ianni said.
Family in 'deep agony,' says imam at funeral for Nabil Askafe, the 16-year-old killed at Hamilton mall
At Askafe's funeral on Monday, Sayed Tora, youth director and former imam with the Hamilton Downtown Mosque, said guns on the streets were a top concern, and called on political leaders and police to take action on youth violence.
"The questions everyone is asking in the community is, why are there guns in the hands of these young people? And what needs to be done to make our streets or schools our malls and our neighbourhoods safe?" he asked.
"The answer is we tap into and invest in the youth programs and initiatives... that we invest in our youth."
