KITCHENER -- Two people have been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Irshad Sabriye.
The 20-year-old Kitchener man was found dead on the Highway 7/8 on-ramp from Courtland Avenue back in November of 2019.
Later, police responded to a vehicle fire on Connaught Street and arrived to find a car engulfed in flames. They believed that the homicide and vehicle fire were related.
On Friday, police said they would be providing an update on the case, and that afternoon, they announced that two people had been charged with his death.
Twenty-year-old Mohamad Alzarzour of Kitchener has been charged with accessory after the fact to murder and arson. Another Kitchener man, 24-year-old Abdullah Haredo, has been charged with manslaughter and arson.
In a statement to CTV News Kitchener, the Sabriye family thanked the Waterloo Regional Police Service for giving them justice.
"These arrests do not mean closure for us. Words cannot express the pain and anger we have endured since the senseless and cruel killing of Irshad," the statement said in part. "We miss him so much. Our world has changed forever."
The family also encouraged anyone with information to speak up, adding they'd like to see more arrests made "for all those involved in his murder."
According to a news release from the Waterloo Regional Police Service, a 10-month investigation culminated in the form of several search warrants at residences in the area of Vanier Drive in Kitchener and Albert Street in Waterloo.
As a result of that warrant, police say they seized two loaded handguns with ammunition and prohibited magazines, 14 grams of suspected cocaine, 21 grams of suspected fentanyl and prescription pills.
They also say they seized digital scales, a drug press, packaging, $18,000 in cash and a motor vehicle.
A 20-year-old Cambridge resident, Hamzah Jama, and a 21-year-old Waterloo resident, Anwar Sabrie, have been charged with a number of drug-related offences, including possession for the purpose of trafficking fentanyl and unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm.
Officials say that Sabrie and Sabriye are not related.
Police also say that two other arrest warrants have been issued.
Abdullahi Mohamed, 20, and Endret Grainca, 19, are both wanted in connection to firearm and drug offences, police say. They're advised to seek legal counsel and turn themselves in.
Officials say that only Azazour and Haredo are charged in relation to Sabriye's death, but they believe there are others who may have been involved in the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Correction:
This is a corrected story. A previous version stated that police seized $1,800 during their search warrants. In fact, they seized $18,000.
