Lives ruined with Club 77 doorman’s murder
So many lives wrecked. Most obviously, that of Vincenzo Lofaro, a 45-year-old son of Italian immigrants who was born and raised in Hamilton and lived an “uncomplicated life” as a school crossing guard and part-time doorman.
Vince was gunned down May 13, 2016, after his shift at Club 77 on King William Street. It was retaliation by losers kicked out by bouncers.
Then there is Vince’s son. Just eight when his dad was killed.
Also Nora Murray. She was picking Vince up and watched him take seven bullets and die on the sidewalk. She was shot in the arm, leaving permanent damage.
And club staff, who understood Vince was a good, simple man.
Go wider. Anyone at the club that night. Residents nearby. Everyone who feared going downtown after the shooting. Those are innocent lives affected. Now consider the five men involved in killing Vince. As of Friday, four had pleaded guilty. All are in their 20s, with — court heard — families who love them. The shooter has yet to be caught. “The man who shot (Vince) will likely be convicted of murder when he is apprehended and charged,” Justice Tony Leitch said. The guilty are: Rebaz Resh. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will serve nine years, two months, on top of time already served.
He is Kurdish, came to Canada as a child and never finished high school. While at the club that night, he decided to rob a rapper of his gold chain. He made a call to obtain a gun, but got kicked out of the club before he could follow through. Then he made another call for a gun. The next day, he cut up the gun and dumped it in the Grand River.
Waed Alabd Alnabi. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, aggravated assault and, for an unrelated incident, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He has been sentenced to eight years, two months in addition to time served.
He came from Iraq when he was nine and was working on his high school diploma at the time of the homicide. He hopes to join the family trucking company after prison.
Joel Guerrero. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an indictable offence (assault causing bodily harm). He is sentenced to 18 months on top of time served.
His family came from El Salvador. After the shooting, he asked his friends to take him home immediately. He didn’t call police. He was a cook at Swiss Chalet and completed the law and security program at Mohawk College. His mom is a cleaner; his father is a pastor.
Ammar Nabulsi. He pleaded guilty last week to accessory after the fact to murder and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence (assault causing bodily harm). He was sentenced to seven years, reduced to five after credit for pretrial custody. His family came from Jordan.
The night Vince was killed, rap artists were performing at Club 77.
One was Ben Baffoh (whose brother, Daniel, was another Hamilton homicide victim). Baffoh invited his pal Resh to the show. Resh invited former school mates Nabulsi, Alnabi and Guerrero. Friend, Karzan Sherif joined them. They arrived in two cars and shared a joint before entering the club at 11:45 p.m., according to an agreed statement of facts.
They drank. A lot. Nabulsi was the least intoxicated.
At 2 a.m. Resh was ready to fight another patron when he was tackled by security and tossed out of the club with the rest of his group. The group threatened the bouncers, saying they would return with a gun to shoot someone.
“Ultimately, two paid duty police officers stationed outside the club intervened,” according to the facts.
Vince was not involved at all. He was lighting cigarettes for people on a patio.
The four now-convicted men and Sherif crowded into Nabulsi’s car. Using cellphone towers and surveillance cameras, police later tracked their route around the city for the next hour. Eventually, the men split into two cars and headed back to Club 77. Sherif passed out in one car.
Video shows Vince outside the club, wearing a sweatshirt with “Staff ” across the front and “Security” on the back. As he was about to get into Nora’s car, Alnabi and a “shorter companion” with a hood pulled over his head walked up. The companion pulled a handgun from his hoodie and shot Vince. Then he fired through the window at Nora before continuing to shoot Vince.
Vince fell and was shot again — seven times in his head and torso. The shooter and Alnabi walked over Vince as he died.
Not one of the convicted men tried to stop it or tried to help.
As the judge said: “They may not have murdered Vincent Lofaro, but without their crimes, Vincent Lofaro would not have been murdered.”