Taylor Morrow-Flint

Taylor Morrow-Flint was a young man remembered by his sister as "the most amazing person" who made everyone around him smile and laugh. The 20-year-old male was her "best friend," her "heart and soul," and her biggest inspiration. To his friends, he was known as "Ghost." In the weeks before his own death, Morrow-Flint posted on Facebook about missing two of his friends, Malik Adjokatcher and Jabeir Jemmie, who had also been victims of unsolved homicides in Ottawa in the preceding years. His profile picture showed him with a large amount of cash, captioned, "I do it for my n----s I can’t see no more." While police suspected he was involved in drug activity, his girlfriend's father described him as not being a troublemaker and disputed any gang involvement, saying he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

On the evening of February 24, 2016, Morrow-Flint was with friends inside an apartment at 82 Ritchie Street in Ottawa’s west end. Around 7:30 p.m., two men arrived at the residence and asked for him. After being let inside, the men went to the kitchen where Morrow-Flint was located. One of the men, armed with a handgun, opened fire, shooting Morrow-Flint multiple times. He was struck in the thigh and the back of the head. Police and paramedics arrived at the home around 7:40 p.m., but Morrow-Flint had already died from his injuries. His death was the city's fourth homicide of 2016.

Immediately after the shooting, the two suspects fled through the back door of the apartment. They were seen running south along Ritchie Street, heading toward Carling Avenue, where investigators believe they may have had a getaway vehicle waiting. The Ottawa Police Service’s Major Crimes Unit took charge of the investigation. Police stated they believed the shooting was targeted but did not think it was related to another homicide that had occurred just two days earlier.

In the month following the murder, police appealed to the public for help. In March 2016, the Ottawa Police Service released a grainy surveillance image showing two men walking on Ritchie Street shortly after the shooting. They asked for assistance in identifying the two individuals in the video and locating the possible getaway car. Despite these efforts and interviews with multiple witnesses, no arrests have ever been made in connection with the case.

Morrow-Flint's sister, Tyiesha, expressed her profound grief online. "My best friend, my heart and my soul, my everything!! You meant the world (to) me," she wrote. "I didn’t get to say goodbye to you, but you know I was your best friend." She promised to look after his belongings and his girlfriend, vowing never to let her brother down. Friends who gathered near the scene were devastated, with one young woman sobbing, "I want my brother, I want my brother. What have they done with him?"

As of September 2020, the murder of Taylor Morrow-Flint remained unsolved. The Ottawa Police Service continues to list the case on its unsolved homicides page. Investigators urge anyone with information about the two men seen fleeing the area, the possible getaway vehicle, or any other detail related to the shooting to come forward. Tips can be submitted to the Ottawa Police Major Crime Section at 613-236-1222, extension 5493, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.