A father of four. A respected businessman. A committed community leader.
These were the words used to describe Abdul Aleem Farooqi, killed in front of his family in a brazen home invasion in Kleinburg early Sunday morning.
鈥淗e was the best father,鈥 said Wasib Dheendsa, a family friend who spoke to reporters on behalf of the Farooqi family on Tuesday. 鈥淗e went as a hero. He went protecting his family.鈥
Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, three suspects 鈥 at least one wielding a firearm 鈥 broke into the Farooqi鈥檚 home on . At the time, Farooqi was home with his family. The assailants held at least one of Farooqi鈥檚 daughters at gunpoint, according to Dheendsa, before fatally shooting the 46-year-old father in front of his family.
The suspects fled the area wearing dark clothing and face coverings, police said. Speaking to reporters at the scene later that day, officers said they believed the home had been targeted “for monetary gain” and that there was “no immediate threat to public safety.”
Abdul Aleem Farooqi was killed while defending his family during a home invasion in Kleinburg.
Submitted by Rizwan AhmadAs of Tuesday, there have been no arrests in the case. Investigators are expected to provide an update on their efforts at York Regional Police鈥檚 headquarters in Aurora on Wednesday morning.
鈥淭here’s no doubt that it was, in our opinion, a home invasion that just took a complete turn for the worse,” Dheendsa continued. “He was not a man who was at all confrontational. He would never do so much as to hurt a fly.”
Rizwan Ahmad, another long-time friend who spoke outside the family鈥檚 home on Tuesday, said he learned of Farooqi鈥檚 death when he awoke on Sunday.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it听鈥 I still can鈥檛 believe it,鈥 Ahmad said. Behind him, investigators could be seen collecting evidence on the property, still cordoned off by police tape. 鈥淚 wish it were a bad dream and that someone would wake me up and tell me it鈥檚 not true.鈥
Both from Brampton, Ahmad and Farooqi developed a close bond after they each moved their families to the Kleinburg neighbourhood around 2018. When not running his HVAC business, Farooqi was a constant presence in the community, Ahmad said.
鈥淚 got to know him through his community service,鈥 he said. “He was the nicest person I’ve ever met.”
Over the holidays, Ahmad said, Farooqi organized toy drives for the neighbourhood children. At a local street festival last summer, he set up a booth just to hand out free water. Some weekends, he would spend hours standing beside the roundabout on the corner of Barons Street and East鈥檚 Corner Boulevard, near his home, holding a sign that read “love for all, hatred for none.”
鈥淗e wasn鈥檛 doing these things for recognition,鈥 Ahmad continued. 鈥淗e would just do it because he was a genuine person who really loved his community.鈥
According to Ahmad, both he and Farooqi made the decision to move from Brampton to Kleinburg because they thought it would be safer for their young families.After his friend鈥檚 death, however, that belief is wavering.
鈥淗onestly, we don’t know what to do. I was pretty much up all last night worried, like, 鈥榃hat if someone comes to my house and tries to do the same thing?鈥欌 the father of two said. 鈥淥ur friends and family, they don’t feel safe in their own homes anymore.鈥
Rizwan Ahmad, a family friend of Aleem Farooqi, speaks to reporters outside of the Farooqi family home on Tuesday.
Abby O’BrienIt鈥檚 a sentiment shared amongst a handful of residents in the area, including neighbour Benjamin Cabral.
鈥淭here are a lot of young families here and I鈥檝e been speaking with other neighbours and people are shaken,鈥 Cabral, who鈥檚 lived around the corner from the Farooqi household for nearly a decade, told the Star on Tuesday.
According to Cabral, a growing number of security incidents in the area have coincided with the development鈥檚 rapid expansion; mostly, he said, they鈥檝e been minor 鈥 鈥渁ttempted carjackings, that kind of thing ... certainly nothing like this.鈥
When reached for comment by the Star, Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca called Farooqi鈥檚 passing an 鈥渆pic failure on the part of many political leaders鈥 and called on all levels of governments to set aside fingerpointing and 鈥渇ix鈥 Canada鈥檚 criminal justice system.
鈥淚’ve had the chance to hear directly from family and close friends of Aleem, and my heart breaks for what they have all been forced to endure since his murder,鈥 Del Duca said in a written statement provided to the Star. 鈥淭he deplorable criminals who killed this man, in front of his wife and kids in their own home, need to be captured and face swift and harsh punishment.鈥
The mayor did not specify what amendments he would like to see enacted.
Del Duca鈥檚 concerns have been echoed by MPP for King-Vaughan, Stephen Lecce, who Tuesday calling Farooqi鈥檚 death an 鈥渦nimaginable tragedy鈥 and calling on the federal government to 鈥渋mmediately reinstate mandatory minimum sentences for violent crimes.鈥
鈥淯nfortunately, (this) is one of many cases of families being victimized by violent criminals in their own homes,鈥 Lecce wrote in a statement shared with the petition. 鈥淓nough is enough (...) The message should be clear to any offender: if you commit a violent crime, you will face serious jail time.鈥
While no amount of legislation will bring back their friend, Ahmad and Dheendsa agree: change is a must.
鈥淯nfortunately, this family won’t get their father back,鈥 Dheendsa said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day, if this can be used as an example for elected officials or for law enforcement to move forward with certain provisions that keep people safe, that鈥檚 the most important thing.鈥
Wasib Dheendsa says his longtime friend, Aleem Farooqi, “went out like a hero,” protecting his children.
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Abby O’Brien
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