Safe injection site worker cross-examined at Damian Hudson murder trial
A safe injection site worker who helped a drug dealer flee after a deadly gunfight became tense and short-tempered on the stand Wednesday while being cross-examined at the murder trial of Damian Hudson.
Hudson is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old Caroline Huebner-Makurat, an innocent bystander who police say was struck by a stray bullet after two drug dealers robbed Hudson outside the South Riverdale Community Health Centre on July 7, 2023.
Hudson has pleaded not guilty, though it is an admitted fact that he fired the fatal shot.
On Monday, Khalila Mohammed testified that her romantic relationship with drug dealer Ahmed Ibrahim began after the shooting.
She said they were acquaintances who often talked outside the site about “random stuff like clothes, cars and shoes,” and that she would educate him about the drug supply.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Charn Gill read from thousands of text messages between Mohammed and Ibrahim and suggested their romantic relationship had already begun before the shooting.
Two days after the killing, Mohammed texted Ibrahim advising him to “get out of the city for awhile,” calling him “babe” and writing, “I’m really missing you… you’re special and I don’t say that typa s— to just anyone.
“I wanna be there for you and be by your side.” Gill suggested the romance predated the shooting, which Mohammed denied.
In another message, Mohammed said she started getting feelings for Ibrahim on Wednesday and that “what happened Friday solidified things.” Gill pointed out that Friday was the day Huebner-Makurat was shot.
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“I liked you from the moment I first met you,” Mohammed wrote in one text. “I just don’t show emotions that easily. Why do you think I’d come outside to smoke so often and for so long. lol, normally I go to the back parking lot to smoke.”
“You would agree you had feelings for him far beyond an acquaintance,” Gill said.
“I was lying to him,” Mohammed responded.
When asked why she lied, she replied, “I don’t know. Do you have actual questions for me or you just going to continue reading text messages?”
Gill noted that Mohammed initially lied to police about helping Ibrahim flee after the shooting and about information involving guns.
“I acknowledged what I did was wrong,” she said. On Monday she testified that she pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to manslaughter last December and is serving a 17-and-a-half month conditional sentence.
Gill then asked about a conversation inside the health centre shortly after the shooting between Mohammed, Ibrahim and a drug user named Layla.
Mohammed agreed she knew there had been a shooting and understood “this was a dispute over a bag,” though she denied remembering testimony from the preliminary hearing that Ibrahim told Layla to take half the cash from the bag.
Gill suggested Mohammed decided to help Ibrahim despite knowing guns were involved. Mohammed agreed she helped him get an Uber, but denied disposing of his clothing.
“You did all this for someone you say at that point wasn’t even your friend?” Gill asked.
“Yes,” Mohammed said.
The judge cautioned the jury that Mohammed’s evidence about what Ibrahim told her regarding the guns must not be taken as proof that what he said was true.
“Later, I will tell you how to use this evidence,” Superior Court Justice Michael Brown said.
Gill later questioned Mohammed about her departure from the job. Mohammed said she quit; Gill suggested she was fired and asked if she had a drinking problem at the time. Mohammed agreed she did, but said that was not the reason she was under investigation.
“I was suspended with pay and then I quit,” she said.
Court finished with more texts from roughly 10 days after the shooting, when Ibrahim asked Mohammed if he could buy Percocet.
She replied she would “spot him,” adding she doesn’t “spot anyone else.”
Gill suggested she sells Percocet, which Mohammed denied. She eventually agreed to sell Ibrahim 50 pills for $200 and told him to send someone named “Ginger” to pick them up at the side door used by clients because she had a meeting and could not leave.
“You’re telling him to come and meet you at the side. He’s going to do a drug transaction with you in the safe injection site,” Gill said.
The cross-examination continues Thursday.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
The weather outside might be frightful but, depending where they live, some Ontario residents may soon get a reprieve from the snow — though only some.
Snow warnings are in effect for several parts of central and southern Ontario, with Environment Canada using its new alert system to issue yellow warnings for snowfall.
The new system now adds a colour to each weather alert — yellow, orange and red — to show the seriousness. Yellow alerts are issued when hazardous weather may cause damage or disruption, or impact health. These weather events are likely moderate, localized, and/or short term.
Current yellow warnings stretch south to cities such as London, Kitchener and Guelph, west to Manitoulin Island and north to Huntsville and Cedar Lake.
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Parts of the Greater Toronto Area are also under warnings including Peterborough, Markham, Milton and Vaughan.
These areas are forecast to see additional snowfall on Sunday, though the amounts vary. Places such as Cobourg and London expected to see two to five centimetres, while other areas, such as Kitchener and Manitoulin Island, are forecast to recieve five to 10 centimetre.
Environment Canada says the snow is expected to transition to flurries in most areas, and will likely to change to rain showers midday in several communities.
There are also several special weather statements in effect for some cities, with some, including Sault Ste Marie and West Nippissing-French River, expected to see between five and 10 additional centimetres of snow into the evening.
Those facing the snow are urged to make additional time for travel. Snow buildup will make roads and walkways difficult to navigate and visibility will be reduced.
Other cities, such as Niagara Falls, Kingston and the majority of the Golden Horseshoe, including Toronto and Hamilton, are under a special weather statement for strong winds.
Those winds are expected to begin later this morning, with strong southwesterly gusts that could hit 60 to 70 km/h. The winds will ease in the evening, but Environment Canada cautions that local utility outages are possible.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Toronto Fire crews remained on scene Saturday afternoon as a complex highrise fire at Thorncliffe Park Dr. and Overlea Blvd. continued to burn behind walls, with officials still unable to give residents a timeline for when they can go home.
Toronto Fire said they have made “positive” progress, but the blaze remains extremely difficult to access.
Acting Division Commander Robert Houston said firefighters have been “actively fighting a stubborn fire” for more than 48 hours and that early in the response they discovered “high levels of carbon monoxide throughout the building.”
All 408 units across the two towers were evacuated. No injuries have been reported.
The Red Cross is providing emergency assistance, delivering accommodations and food for 117 households and 239 people as of Saturday morning.
Officials said residents were moved from an initial hub into hotels.
One of those displaced is single mother Mohamee Muhammad, now staying with her daughter at a hotel in the Don Valley.
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They have been provided a card to buy meals but only have guaranteed accommodation until Dec. 2.
“You have to take it one day at a time,” Muhammad told Global News.
Her daughter Aisha learned about the fire from her school principal.
“I just hope we can go home back soon,” she said, adding the experience is deeply disruptive. “I wasn’t expecting this. I just thought it would be a normal day until I got the call.” She was permitted to briefly enter to retrieve her school supplies.
Another resident, Nihal Sheikh, said his wife called him while he was at work to say the building was being evacuated. They have a two-month-old and two other young children.
“Things happened suddenly,” he said. “It was so chaotic.”
He said responders escorted him upstairs to retrieve medications and diapers. “We don’t know what’s going on… we are just getting updates from fire department and police.”
Houston said temperatures and carbon monoxide levels have “successfully lowered,” but crews still “do not have eyes on the fire… just behind walls,” relying instead on heat readings and air monitoring.
He confirmed “there is no timeline” for when residents can return. “We just can’t see. We’re in the middle of trying to mitigate the situation.”
Earlier on Friday, Fire Chief Jim Jessop said the blaze is being fuelled by insulation burning “slowly” between the walls of both towers, creating “high levels of carbon monoxide” due to “incomplete combustion.” Crews had recorded readings of 850 parts per million, a life-threatening level.
Jessop said he expects it to be a “prolonged event,” with no estimate on when it will be brought under control. Once it is, it will still take firefighters another 24 hours to ensure there are no flare-ups.
Crews were first called around 1:30 p.m. Thursday to reports of “light smoke” on multiple floors at 11 Thorncliffe Park Dr., before the fire spread into the adjacent building at 21 Overlea Blvd.
City officials thanked emergency responders and urged any remaining displaced residents to contact the Red Cross, saying, “The most important thing is that everybody in this community is safe.”
– With files from Gabby Rodriguez
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Broccoli florets sold under the Your Fresh Market brand are being recalled across several provinces due to possible Salmonella contamination, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.
The CFIA issued the recall Friday for packaged broccoli florets distributed in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Consumers are urged to check their refrigerators and dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase. The agency says the product should not be eaten, sold, served or distributed.
Food contaminated with Salmonella may look and smell normal but can still cause illness.
Symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Young children, pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe illness.
The CFIA says anyone who believes they became sick after eating the product should contact a health-care provider.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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