Third sister also knew both sides in deadly parking lot brawl
Closing submissions in the Ali Mohummad murder trial to be heard later
Anusha Khalid “just didn’t want a fight to happen.”
“It’s a fight so either way it will end up bad,” the 19-year-old told court Wednesday, recalling how she felt in July 2020 before a large parking lot brawl that ended in the stabbing death of Ali Mohummad.
She is the third of three Khalid sisters to testify at the trial of two teens charged with second-degree murder.
The now 19-year-old men cannot be named because they were 17 at the time of the incident around 1 a.m. July 19, 2020.
The sisters are the only witnesses in court who knew both sides. Anusha’s older sister, Sehar, was friends with Hamza Chaudry, Mohummad’s then 22-year-old brother. Anusha and her younger sister Farwah, who is now 18, were friends with the two teens charged with murder after meeting one of them playing the video game Fortnite.
While Sehar and Farwah were called by the Crown as witnesses, Anusha was the only witness called by the defence.
She told court the dispute began at her July 9, 2020 birthday party at Bayfront Park. Court has already heard that Sehar, Chaudry and two friends — all in their early 20s — sat separately from the teen partygoers. When one of the 17-year-old boys approached, he was told they wanted to do their own thing. Chaudry was upset about the teen smoking a cigar near them.
In court Wednesday, Anusha said she didn’t see the confrontation, but heard about it afterwards. She went over to the 17-year-old as he was in his car about to leave to apologize. “It’s my birthday, there shouldn’t be any arguments,” she said.
Soon after, the teen posted on Snapchat something about people “hiding behind girls.” The comment wasn’t directed at anyone, but the timing made her believe it had to do with what just happened.
On the night of July 18, she and Farwah were out with the two 17year-olds. Sehar was out with Chaudry. After the girls met to go home, the young men had a run-in at a stop light and agreed to meet.
Court has heard Chaudry called his brother and friends, mostly from Mississauga, and they came to Hamilton.
That side has insisted they weren’t looking for a fight and only wanted to talk out the conflict.
When they met in the parking lot of 310 Limeridge Rd. W., there was an “ambush,” Chaudry and friends said.
Video of the incident shows a wild melee with cars being smashed, people armed with rocks and sticks and a car hitting the two 17-yearolds. Mohummad, 19, is captured in the video being chased. His stabbed body was later found more than four hours later down a hill near an apartment building on nearby Kendale Court. Chaudry and another friend were also stabbed, but survived.
Anusha recalled Sehar getting messages from Chaudry before the parking lot confrontation. The girls and two friends met with Chaudry’s group before the Limeridge meetup. Anusha agreed Chaudry was mad and they were planning to fight.
But on cross-examination, she also agreed that any information she had was from Sehar, and not from speaking directly with Chaudry or his friends. She also messaged her 17-year-old friend — one of the boys charged — to warn him that Chaudry had more than 10 guys with him.
After the brawl, the sisters travelled to the scene and tried messaging friends on both sides. Anusha shared a Snapchat video of the 17year-olds after the fight and later spoke with police.
The defence is not expected to call any more witnesses. Closing arguments will be heard at a later date.
Another teen charged is being tried separately.
Video of the incident shows a wild melee with cars being smashed, people armed with rocks and sticks and a car hitting the two 17-year-olds