Man killed over parking spot in Brampton had ‘heart of gold,’ girlfriend says

A 50-year-old man is dead and a 25-year-old man is facing charges after an altercation in a Brampton parking lot believed to be over a parking spot.

A 50-year-old Brampton, Ont., man was killed during a fight over a parking spot in Brampton, the victim’s girlfriend says.

Speaking to CTV News Toronto on Thursday, Lidia Vaiman said her boyfriend, Chris Shanab, was on his way to work on the early evening of Jan. 12 and was planning to stop by his usual store to buy cigarettes.

“From what we know, he never made it in the store. He was left on the ground. He was found at 6:15 (p.m.). He was brought to the hospital. From what we understand, it was over a parking spot,” Vaiman said.

According to police, Shanab became involved in a verbal dispute with another man in a parking lot in the area of Castlemore Road and McVean Drive around 6 p.m.

It escalated to a physical altercation, resulting in Shanab being attacked, police said. He was taken to the hospital, where he died three days later after being taken off life support.

‘A heart of gold’

Vaiman said she’s been struggling to understand why it happened, as she said her boyfriend did not deserve to die.

She described Shanab as an “amazing” and “kind” man with a good sense of humour.

“Chris had a heart of gold,” Vaiman said, adding that her boyfriend had been taking care of his father for nine years.

“Anything I ever needed, he was always there for me. Anything his friends needed, he was always there for them.”

Vaiman noted that her boyfriend’s wallet and cellphone are still missing.

Rod Compton was also in disbelief that his best friend is gone.

“My dad just passed. I’m not even over my dad’s death yet. And now my best friend, I hear about my best friend being gone, so it hurt me pretty hard,” he told CTV News Toronto.

Earlier this week, Peel police, using the security video they collected from the convenience store, identified and arrested a suspect, 25-year-old Abdifatah Ahmed. They charged him with manslaughter.

The exact cause of death has not been revealed. It is unclear if Shanab died because of a blow to the head from a punch or if he slipped and fell during the incident.

“In this case, what really separates the three (is that) first-degree murder has some sort of premeditation and planning that’s required. The real difference between second-degree murder and manslaughter is the intent to cause serious harm or kill somebody,” Peel police media relations officer Tyler Bell-Morena explained to CTV News.

“And in this case, we do not believe the person that’s been arrested intended to kill this man.”