Marwan Arab

Marwan Arab, a 20-year-old man, had sought refuge in Canada, leaving his native Libya two years earlier to escape the violence that plagued his homeland. In Ottawa, he was building a new life, studying English as a second language and attending Algonquin College. A roommate remembered him as a "down to earth, quiet guy." He was deeply connected to his family, especially his 22-year-old cousin, Ayyub Arab. The two were inseparable, described by family as being more like brothers. They lived on the same street and spent nearly all their time together, with Ayyub’s first call every morning being to Marwan. His parents, still in Libya, were devastated to learn their son had met a violent end in the country they believed would be his safe haven.

On the evening of Sunday, January 31, 2016, Marwan and Ayyub went for a meal at Shifa Restaurant, a family-run establishment in a strip mall on Cobden Road in Ottawa’s Pinecrest neighbourhood. At approximately 5:30 p.m., the peace was shattered when a lone gunman entered and opened fire inside the small restaurant. Marwan was shot in the head as he exited the washroom and died almost instantly. Ayyub was struck three times—once in the hand and twice in the chest. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but survived his injuries, with doctors telling his family he had been "one hair close to dying."

The Ottawa Police Service major crime unit quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence. Investigators believe that the true target was a third man who was with the cousins, 29-year-old Behzad Behruzi. When the shooting began, Behruzi, who was known to anti-gang police, fled out the back of the restaurant and escaped unharmed. Family members who spoke with Ayyub from his hospital bed recounted that the shooter's gun had initially stalled, allowing patrons to briefly chase him out, but he immediately returned and fired, hitting Marwan first.

Police launched a homicide investigation, appealing to the public for assistance. While no description of a suspect was released, authorities asked for help in locating a vehicle of interest seen leaving the scene. The car, a white 2004 or 2005 Chevrolet Malibu with tinted windows and black rims, was photographed by a red-light camera as it sped through the intersection of Iris Street and Woodroffe Avenue just minutes after the shooting. A few days later, concerned about the possibility of retaliatory violence, police arrested Behruzi and several of Marwan’s friends in a raid, charging them with multiple weapons offenses after finding a shotgun.

The grief of Marwan's family was immense and compounded by the tragic circumstances of his death. "We're trying to hold ourselves together and trying to be tough but it's hard," his cousin Tasnim Arab said. Another cousin, Alla Arab, voiced the family's heartbreak and disbelief. "I thought Canada would be safer," she said. "Marwan was sent here because his parents didn't want him to get shot — be killed in Libya. But it was the same thing that happened here." Family and friends gathered to mourn at Marwan’s funeral, which was held at the Ottawa Mosque.

As of September 2016, no arrests had been made in Marwan Arab's killing, and his homicide remains on the Ottawa Police Service's list of unsolved cases. The investigation is ongoing. Police continue to ask anyone with information regarding the shooting or the white Chevrolet Malibu to contact the Major Crime Office at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.