Travis Philley, the bar manager at Aria Food and Spirits, gave his testimony in court regarding the events that unfolded on the night Logan Nayneecassum tragically lost his life at the Rosewood club. Philley stated that he had consumed five drinks consisting of vodka and Pepsi that evening.
Jessica Litman, the owner of the establishment, also took the stand and testified that several traumatic incidents had occurred, affecting her memory of the shooting that took place on August 21, 2020.
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Tiara Fehr, a patron at the bar, provided her own testimony, revealing that she was heavily intoxicated from both alcohol and cannabis. Fehr admitted that she was unable to identify individuals on a surveillance tape, claiming they all looked the same to her because they were Black.
In a previous hearing, Fehr had identified a man named “Tax” in the surveillance video. However, during her testimony, she recanted her previous statement, stating that she no longer recognized any of the individuals in the footage.
The defendant, Afrah Abdi, is facing second-degree murder charges and is currently on trial at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon. The trial is being presided over by Justice Mona Dovell.
Identity is emerging as a critical factor in the trial. Jurors have spent the initial two days of the proceedings watching extensive footage of a group of people socializing at the bar. The video, devoid of sound, depicts the individuals drinking, exchanging greetings, and engaging in conversation.
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Prosecutor Michael Pilon informed the jury that “the shooter” also went by the alias “Tax,” explicitly stating that this person is Afrah Abdi. Conversely, defense lawyer Leo Adler argued that the man in the prisoner’s box is not the individual seen in the video.
One fact established from the timestamped video and testimonies is that Aria closed its doors at 2 a.m. However, customers continued to arrive until nearly 3 a.m. During this time, a group of at least five First Nations men arrived and had a confrontation with a group of Black men, which ultimately led to the tragic shooting of Nayneecassum.
The trial is expected to last for two weeks as the court seeks to uncover the truth surrounding this devastating incident.
