Police name victim in city's 3rd 2012 homicide

Peyman Hatami, a 31-year-old Ottawa man, is the city's third homicide victim of 2012, police confirm.

Hatami was found Thursday afternoon near a strip mall on Dynes Road close to Prince of Wales Drive. Ottawa police confirmed to the CBC's Judy Trinh that Hatamiwas shot in the chest.

Staff Sgt. Bruce Pirt of the major crimes unit said Thursday's shooting is not related to last week's triple shooting on Borthwick Avenue in the city's east end.

At the scene on Dynes Road Friday morning, a canine unit and 20 officers from the emergency services team were scouring the area in the search for a murder weapon.

Shooting not random, police say

No arrests have been made and an autopsy was expected Saturday.

Police said the shooting does not appear to be random.

Neighbour Pamela Yates lives across the street from the parking lot where police found Hatami.

At the scene Thursday, she said she saw police arrive, cordon off the area and begin interviewing people at the nearby Asian Garden and Hog's Back restaurants.

Yates said police eventually emerged from the restaurants with three young men. Police escorted the men into a squad car and drove away. The men were not wearing handcuffs.

Reached by phone Thursday, staff at the two restaurants said they were busy talking to police.

The police investigation spread from the parking lot to a nearby highrise apartment building at 900 Dynes Rd.

Crystal Grierson lives in the building. "It makes me feel scared, and scared for your safety and your life," she told CBC News.

Victim had criminal record

Court records show Peyman was convicted in 2009 of assault causing bodily harm, robbery, uttering threats and more after an incident in February of that year. Two other men were charged and convicted in connection with the incident.

A number of drug and weapons charges filed in 2004 were later withdrawn.