'Something has to be done': Residents worried after fatal shooting on Lowertown street

Ottawa police are searching for a suspect after a late night shooting on a quiet street in Lowertown left a 36-year-old man dead.

Emergency crews responded to a shooting in the 200 block of Clarence Street, between King Edward Avenue and Nelson Street, at approximately 11:40 p.m. Friday.

When police arrived on the scene, they found the victim lying on the street.

"I was just drifting off to sleep about 11:30 last night, and I just jumped. I heard pow-pow, pow-pow, and I recognized it was gun shots right off the bat," said Christine Vincent, who lives across the street from the shooting location.

"The next thing I know there's police cars rushing around to the backstreet where I am, and they stopped. They were coming in, I guess there was about six cars that suddenly came in, they blocked up that side of the street and the other.

The victim, Vuyo Kashe, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses told CTV News Ottawa they heard a handful of shots at approximately 11:40 p.m.

"We were just sitting around playing Mario Kart, buddies and I, it was a quiet night and then all of the sudden it wasn't so quiet," resident James Flemming said. 

"It was pretty loud, I actually jolted off the couch, and I was like no, something's wrong," said Adam White.

"A guy laying on the ground obviously had been shot, a whole bunch of police, a lot of worried neighbours."

The Ottawa Police Service Homicide Unit is leading the investigation. Police told CTV News Ottawa on Saturday afternoon that there are no suspects in the homicide.

Neighbours who asked not to appear on camera said they saw a man fleeing the scene on foot shortly after the shots were fired.

"We've had so much trouble down in the market area, it's really getting bad," Vincent said. "I mean I've been down here since 2010 and it's just getting worse and worse."

Residents living on Clarence Street say the murder is "very scary."

"It's not really, really safe," Chares Sebumtimbiri said.

"Kill someone, close to your door, it's very scary."

Vincent says she plans to be in her home at 10 p.m. from now on.

"I don't want to be out on the streets at night now," Vincent said Saturday morning. "I understand the police can't be everywhere at the same time, but something has to be done."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service Homicide Unit at 613-236-1222 ext. 5493.

This is the second fatal shooting in Ottawa this month.

Abdulhamid Haji Ragab, 24, died in a shooting on Banff Avenue on July 5.

Ottawa police say there have been nine homicides in Ottawa so far in 2022.