The evening of December 8th shattered the normalcy of a bustling Brampton shopping plaza. A 25-year-old man, later identified as Jaskarn Dhaliwal, was fatally shot while sitting in his vehicle, the scene unfolding in the Shoppers World parking lot.
Police responded to the plaza, near Main Street and Bartley Bull Parkway, just after 7 p.m. to find Dhaliwal already deceased. Investigators believe he was targeted as he attempted to leave the parking lot, ambushed by individuals who opened fire on his car.
The investigation swiftly led to the identification of three suspects, culminating in their arrests. Elijah Turney, 20, of Brampton, Malik Young, 20, of Brampton, and Omar Ayah, 25, of Toronto, now face first-degree murder charges in connection with the shooting.
Turney’s arrest wasn’t a standalone event. Just a day after the murder, he was apprehended alongside two others after a vehicle they occupied attempted to evade police at a high speed. The ensuing pursuit ended when the vehicle lost control and became disabled.
A search of the vehicle revealed a chilling arsenal: two loaded Glock handguns, a high-capacity magazine holding 26 rounds, and a drum magazine. Turney, along with Myles Haywood-Williams, 18, and a 16-year-old, were charged with numerous gun and driving offenses, cases that remain before the courts.
The investigation has also cast a shadow over Omar Ayah’s past. Records indicate a man of the same name was implicated in a brazen kidnapping in Vaughan in August 2023. Gunmen stormed a restaurant, forcibly abducting a 37-year-old man and demanding a ransom.
The victim was released hours later with minor injuries, leading police to believe the kidnappers had mistakenly targeted the wrong individual. Ayah, along with two others, were arrested at Pearson Airport upon their return from Mexico, facing kidnapping charges.
Authorities are currently working to confirm whether the Omar Ayah involved in the 2023 kidnapping is the same individual now accused of murder. Investigators maintain the Brampton shooting appears to be an isolated incident, but the search for additional suspects continues.
Anyone with information regarding the murder of Jaskarn Dhaliwal is urged to contact the Peel Regional Police Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
