Police doing ground search for alleged Yusuf Ibrahim murder weapon

Ottawa police are searching the area near Hunt Club Road and Highway 417 for the weapon allegedly connected to the February homicide of 27-year-old Yusuf Ibrahim.

The emergency services unit is conducting a ground search ofabout twokilometres of terrain that includes ravines, train tracks and fields.

They're looking for the gun policebelieve was used to shoot andkillIbrahim ina house onForestglade Crescent, near Hunt Club and Hawthorne roads, at about 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 6. There had been a party at the house the night before.

Ibrahimwas a known Cripsgangmember with the street name "Grinch" and had a criminal record in Ottawadating back to 2007, according to court records.

A rented black Dodge Charger with three people inside was seen leaving the crime scene.Police have since found the car and spoken to the person who rented it.

Investigators now have information that the weapon may have been tossed out of the car as it fled the scene, and police had been waiting for the snow to melt before conducting searches.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Ottawa police major crimes unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493,or anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at1-800-222-8477(TIPS).