A man who was shot in the ByWard Market has died of his injuries.
The victim of the shooting was 42-year-old Markland Anthony Campbell. Campbell, also known as Jahiant Jahh, was a member of the hip-hop, reggae trio Half Size Giants.
18-year-old Don Musselman has been charged with second-degree-murder in the homicide of Campbell. Ottawa Police confirm they have yet to recover the gun they believe was used.
The shooting happened late Friday night around 9:30 p.m. on ByWard Market Square between George and York streets. Officers arrived to find a man in critical condition on the sidewalk. He was transported to hospital. Several witnesses described hearing two gunshots.
Campbell's friends found about his passing Saturday morning.
“It just hit me man, Jahiant's dead,” said James Harkness, who produced music videos with Campbell’s group Half Size Giants. “Peaceful, that's all I ever got from his man was peaceful and it breaks my heart man that he had to go like this.”
Harkness said Campbell, whom he referred to as Jahiant, was like a brother to him; both devout Christians and family men.
“All the music we did together was always positive, was always praising God in his music, always showing love to people.”
Half Size Giants formed more than 25 years ago. Campbell along with friends Willie Moreno and Chris Wiens were fierce anti-violence advocates.
“At the age of 16 Markland along with half size giants led an anti-violence concert to protest the senseless death of Nicholas Battersby Ottawa’s first drive by shooting victim in March 1994. Now 25 years later and less than a mile away from 1994’s tragedy Markland was maliciously gunned down defending the principle of righteousness he lived by.”
The group said Campbell was unarmed and had just left work at the Shaw Centre; rushing to his daughter's aid. Campbell’s daughter told her father she had been physically assaulted by two young men in the ByWard Market.
According to witnesses, after being shot Campbell somehow made it from the corner of George Street and ByWard more than 300 metres to the corner finally collapsing on this sidewalk where blood still stains the ground.
Hailey Bercier was driving a nearby yellow Jeep with his family in vehicle when the shots rang out. Bercier quickly drove off.
“We heard three shots go off and we'd seen people running across the street and they started screaming. Parked nearby with his family in their yellow jeep, Hailey Bercier quickly drove off and witnesses thought he was a suspect driving off; witnesses were mistaken.
“I guess this was a classic example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I was worried for the kids.”
Bercier got his family to safety, Campbell wasn’t so lucky; friends say he succumbed to his injuries during surgery. A candlelight vigil will be held in Campbell’s honour Sunday evening in the ByWard Market honouring the man they called Jahiant.
