A Calgary man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally shooting another man in a southeast Calgary hotel room. Ahmed Abdi Hassan, 31, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Liban Abdirahman, which occurred on March 25, 2024, inside a Super 8 hotel room on Shawville Road S.E.
Court proceedings
Calgary Court of King's Bench Justice Chidinma Thompson accepted a joint submission from the Crown and defence on Monday. Hassan had originally been scheduled to stand trial for second-degree murder but instead pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter with a firearm.
Details of the incident
Crown prosecutor Margot Engley read an agreed statement of facts outlining the events leading to the shooting. Hassan, Abdirahman, and a third man, Mowlid Yusuf, had traveled from Edmonton to Calgary the previous day and were invited to stay in a female acquaintance's hotel room. Throughout the night, Hassan and Abdirahman consumed a significant amount of alcohol and cocaine.
At around 12:04 p.m. on March 25, the female acquaintance left for an appointment. About two hours later, the homicide occurred. While away, she spoke to Yusuf on the phone and heard Hassan and Abdirahman arguing in the background.
Hassan was armed with a semi-automatic handgun loaded with multiple 9mm rounds. From the doorway of the hotel room, he fired seven shots at Abdirahman, who was slightly further into the room. Three bullets struck Abdirahman in the back, including one to the back of his head that perforated his frontal lobe.
Aggravating factors
Engley cited multiple aggravating factors justifying the 15-year sentence, including that Hassan regularly carried a firearm and that the victim was shot from behind. Defence counsel Balfour Der argued that Hassan's guilty plea demonstrated remorse and spared the victim's family a full trial. Justice Thompson noted that Hassan also apologized to the victim's mother, though she dismissed him.
As part of the joint submission, Hassan must serve at least half of his sentence before being eligible for parole. With credit for time served, he will have approximately 12 years remaining, meaning he cannot seek release until June 24, 2032.
