Sharif Said fatal shooting leads to murder charge

Two men briefly appeared in court today on charges related tothe fatal shooting of 21-year-oldSharifSaid.

KhalidMohammad, 26, appeared in court onThursday byvideo link on one charge of second-degree murder. The judge ordered himnot to communicate with more than 20 people.

• Brother of Ottawa's 3rd homicide victim disputes gang ties

Another man,AbdulazizAbdullah, wascharged with accessory after the fact in connection with the Said's death.He also appeared in court briefly and was remanded into custody.

Abdullahis expected back in court on May 11.Both menhave previous criminal records.

Mohammadserved two years in prison after he was found guilty of several charges, including sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon, in a 2007 home invasion.

'Killers are victims'

Inside the courtroom,Said's mother, younger brother and two uncles watched proceedings as the two men appeared.

One of Said's uncles,AbdulHassan, told the media his nephew was not involved in gangs and was successful in school.

"The victim needs not to be victimized,"Hassansaid.

He also said whoever killed Said is also a victim of gang culture.

"We believe the killers are victims. They're victims of senseless violence. They need to realize life is precious," said Hassan.

Said's body found on Tremblay Road

Said, 21, was found by a passerby in the area of Tremblay and Belfast roads on Sunday around 6 a.m. Police were called and found he had multiple gunshot wounds. He later died in hospital.

His shooting death is the third homicide of 2015 in Ottawa.

Police sources say they are investigating whether Said and the suspects were at a house party on Topley Crescentwhena verbal fight got "physical."

Investigators believe the altercation led to an abrupt encounter on Tremblay Road that ended in Said's death.

Police have not found the murder weapon, police sources said.