A man has been given a life sentence for murder after setting a fire in an Ottawa highrise in 2024 that resulted in the death of a three-year-old girl. Saeed Mohamed ignited the fire on the third floor of the building located at the east end of Donald Street around 6 a.m. on May 2, 2024. The incident led to the hospitalization of eight individuals, three of whom had life-threatening injuries.
Tragically, three-year-old Karima Moustapha succumbed to her injuries several days following the fire. Her mother and sister sustained critical injuries but managed to survive. The blaze also caused upheaval in the lives of many others, prompting 250 people to seek assistance at a nearby community center on the day of the incident.
This was not the first instance of arson by Mohamed, as indicated by court documents. In 2016, he was apprehended and charged in connection with two arsons at a Sandy Hill apartment building where he resided at the time. Subsequently, in 2018, he was convicted of arson with disregard for human life.