A man who was shot and killed during a home invasion in a quiet east London neighbourhood allegedly had ties to a Liberian rebel group accused of war crimes.
London police announced Monday that the victim in the fatal shooting has been identified as Bill Horace, 44, of Toronto. While local police have not confirmed the connection, African news sources have also identified Horace as a former general in the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL).
"The London Police Service has received several media inquiries about the identity of the deceased and possible historical association to National Patriotic Front in Liberia," police said in a news release issued Monday. "The London Police Service is aware of these inquiries, but cannot confirm this fact at this time."
According to police, four men travelling in two vehicles went to a home at 232 Pochard Lane around 4:40 a.m. Sunday and forced their way into the home. There was an altercation that ended when one of the men shot Horace. The men then took off and a 911 call was made. Emergency crews rushed Horace to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said they do not believe this was a random incident.
According to Front Page Africa, friends and family members confirmed that Horace was a member of the rebel group that was active during the First Liberian Civil War between 1989 to 1996. Horace also acknowledged his ties to NPFL during an interview with Maclean's in 2009.
NPFL was founded and led by Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia who is serving a 50-year prison sentence after being convicted of war crimes by a United Nations-backed court.
Horace and the men under his command were accused of "horrendous atrocities" during their time with NPFL. However, despite also being under investigation in Canada, none of the allegations against Horace have been proven in court.
Police are looking for four suspects in connection with the London shooting.
The first is described as a Black male, six feet tall, with a thin build. He was wearing a black hospital-style mask, grey sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt.
The second suspect is described as a Black male, wearing a black hospital-style mask and a hooded sweatshirt with a red strip down the arm. The third was a Black male with no other description available. The fourth suspect is described as a Black male with a light complexion, short, with a thin build, short braids, and wearing grey sweatpants.
Horace is the second homicide victim in London in 2020. The first was Owen Serieska, 16, who was shot dead in an apartment at 580 Dundas St. on April 14.
Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call the London Police Service at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent in online anonymously to www.londoncrimestoppers.com.
