WPS teams with non-profit to display wanted suspect

Billboards Display Suspect in Winnipeg Shooting Case

Giant images of one of Canada’s most wanted men are visible to motorists near Winnipeg’s Wolseley neighbourhood. Two brightly-coloured billboards near Portage Avenue and Lipton Street show the face of Tresor Horimbere. He is a suspect in a shooting that left a young soccer star dead after a Canada Africa Cup of Nations game in July 2024.

The Winnipeg Police Service has partnered with the Bolo Program, a Quebec-based non-profit. The program installed the billboards and is offering up to $100,000 in rewards for tips leading to Horimbere’s capture.

“It’s all about making sure people are on the lookout and that people who may have something to say, say something,” said program director Max Langlois. He added, “It’s also implicitly about making the world smaller for Tresor Horimbere.”

Details of the Case

Horimbere was 22 years old last February when police named him as a suspect in the death of Mohamed Yusuf Abdullahi, also 22. He has been on the run for 18 months. The billboards are part of a larger campaign using social media and traditional advertising to spread Horimbere’s likeness across Canada.

The Bolo Program has listed him as the No. 4 most wanted fugitive in Canada. This ranking is based on an assessment by its review committee and discussions with law enforcement. The committee considered the crime Horimbere is accused of, which involved the victim being shot in front of about 100 witnesses.

A friend and community leader described Abdullahi as a talented soccer player. He arrived in Canada in 2014 after escaping civil war in Somalia with his family. Police believe the shooting, which occurred in the parking lot of the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex shortly before midnight on July 13, was targeted and may be linked to gangs and drugs.

Billboard Campaign Details

Investigators arrested two other men in connection to the shooting. However, Crown prosecutors later stayed charges against one of the suspects. Two static billboards were erected at the Portage Avenue location on December 22. They will remain until January 23. Digital billboards were also installed on December 15 near Waverley Street and Clarence Avenue, and at Pembina Highway near Harrow Street. Those will stay until January 16.

Photos of Horimbere are being shared in social media ads across Canada, including in Ontario near Ottawa, where investigators believe he may have fled. The effort is funded by the Stéphan Crétier Foundation, which founded the Bolo Program in 2018. BOLO stands for “be on the lookout.”

Langlois noted that WPS identified Portage Avenue as a “strategic location” for the billboards. He said, “I don’t know why, we don’t ask.” The Bolo Program only uses public information and does not want to interfere with the investigation.

Community Response

WPS Const. Dani McKinnon mentioned that city police have not used billboard campaigns for tips in the past. WPS declined to provide updates on the investigation. They did not say if the campaign has led to any tips or why Portage Avenue was chosen as a strategic location.

Langlois could not confirm if the billboards have led to new information. However, he said police have received tips since Horimbere was placed on the most wanted list on October 8. Annette Colbert, a nearby resident, said she was unaware of the search for Horimbere before the billboards were installed.

Colbert remarked, “It’s definitely eye-catching. I drive by here a lot on my way back from school and I did notice this yesterday.”

Reward Information

The reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to Horimbere’s capture is one of the highest offered by the Bolo Program. This amount is reserved for serious criminals. The reward is available until June 9. Langlois stated, “It’s always about the level of danger a suspect poses to our communities.” He urged anyone with information to come forward, noting that the incentive will not last forever.

People with information about the case should contact WPS.