Hassan Ali, a Toronto rapper who goes by the stage name ‘Top5,’ has been arrested in connection with a firearm investigation, Toronto police say. Police said they executed a search warrant on Friday in the area of Enterprise Boulevard and Birchmount Road in Markham, Ont. As a result, police announced on Saturday that the 26-year-old was facing numerous charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm while prohibited. Officers also arrested Yasin Ali, 29, on similar firearm-related charges. Police told CP24 that the two suspects are not related. The charges have not been tested in court. Hassan Ali was released from prison last year after a Superior Court judge stayed his charges in connection with the 2021 shooting death of 20-year-old student Hashim Omar Hashi, after some social media evidence in the case was dismissed. Soon after the charges were stayed, Ali shared his prison-time experiences in an online stream, where he claims he was able to get his hands on a knife and cellphones, and was able to eat a cheeseburger. In 2023, Ali used one of the cellphones to record a music video while in custody at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ont. He claimed he paid $10,000 to get the phone. Ontario’s solicitor general had launched a full investigation into the incident. Although Ali’s charges were stayed, the Crown can still revive them at a later date. Police are asking anyone with information in connection with the firearm investigation to contact them at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously. With files from CP24’s Beatrice Vaisman and CTV News Toronto’s Rahim Ladhani
