William 'Bill' Horace, a former National Patriotic Front of Liberia rebel group commander, was shot dead in a home invasion on Sunday, FrontPageAfrica reported.
Police in London, Ontario, confirmed in a statement on Monday the identity of the home invasion victim.
“The victim in this matter has been identified as 44-year-old Bill Horace, of Toronto”, the London Police Service said. It added that the shooting was likely targeted but did not reveal a motive.
The police went on to say they cannot confirm the affiliation of the deceased, but family members have told to FrontPageAfrica that the victim was indeed the ex-paramilitary commander.
Horace was a top commander in Charles Taylor’s rebel group that initiated the First Liberian Civil War and was responsible for the number of war crimes in western Africa, including in Sierra Leone.
A Maclean’s investigation in 2010 revealed that Horace arrived in Canada at the turn of the century settling down in Toronto.
Charles Taylor is currently serving a 50-year sentence at the Frankland prison in North East England having been convicted of war crimes in western Africa.