Police are looking for Hassan Ali, better known as Toronto rapper Top5, after upgrading his charges to first-degree murder in connection to the January killing of a 20-year-old student.
Investigators say on January 31, Hashim Omar Hashi was in a car trying to enter an underground parking garage in the Jane Street and Falstaff Avenue area when a suspect approached the passenger side and shot him several times. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
In February, police arrested two men in connection to the incident, including Ali, who is 22. He was initially charged with accessory after the fact, as well as six other offences, including several for drug possession.
Ali was released from custody in late March and had been living under strict house arrest with electronic tagging. A police source told the Toronto Star Ali cut off his ankle bracelet and fled after being asked to turn himself in.
Police released an update Thursday night appealing to the public for help locating the accused. The statement said Ali was wanted for first-degree murder and three counts of failure to comply with recognizance.
“He is believed to be violent and dangerous. Do not approach. Call 911 immediately,” police said in the statement.
Earlier this month, Ali appeared in court via video conference and asked the judge to alter his bail conditions to allow him to post content on social media sites, according to the Star.
Top5 first gained notoriety in 2014 when Drake name-dropped him in an Instagram post, causing his single “Shirt Off Shawty” to pop off. Drake would name-drop him again in his song “Grammys,” off of 2016’s Views. Since breaking out, the rapper has released a flurry of singles with views in the millions.
Most recently, he gained attention for being featured on DJ Akademiks’ Twitch streams. “I run Toronto, they know this,” he told Akademiks in December.
Last August, he made headlines for bringing traffic on Toronto’s Highway 401 to a halt in order to shoot a music video.
