Sigma Pi dies after falling 11 storys off a balcony

[CanadianTeke]

Student dies in accidental fall from balcony

OTTAWA - Ottawa police say the death of Ameer Jinah, 20, who fell from an 11th-floor apartment Saturday night, was accidental.

Jinah was celebrating his birthday with friends at his apartment on Kent Street when he fell from the balcony.

Police say the group was trying to see who could spit farthest from the balcony. They say Jinah ran up to the railing and was accidentally carried over the edge by his momentum.

Jinah was a second-year student at Carleton University. He was from Belleville.


Pals mourn 'brilliant kid'

Buses take friends to T.O. funeral
By DEREK PUDDICOMBE, Ottawa Sun

Friends of a Carleton University student who fell from his 11th-storey Kent St. apartment balcony Saturday night are arranging a convoy of buses so they can attend the young man's funeral in Toronto on Thursday. Troy Lajambe said the parents of Ameer "A.J." Jinah have offered to pay for the buses so as many of their son's friends as possible can attend the noon-hour funeral.

"His parents are spearheading this," said an emotional Lajambe, who is having difficulty dealing with his friend's death. "It looks like we have two or three buses so far."

Jinah was in his second year at Carleton studying software engineering and commerce.

Lajambe and Jinah belonged to the same fraternity and became fast friends after they met at the university last year. Last night, Lajambe remembered his friend as a loving, good-natured and polite young man who would go out of his way to help anyone.

"He was a brilliant kid. He was very loyal to his religion and his family. He was like a brother to me," said Lajambe, who along with several friends gathered yesterday at the spot where Jinah died to lay flowers and recite a traditional Muslim prayer.

Jinah had returned to his Ottawa apartment from Belleville, where he was visiting his family, only hours before his death, and was celebrating his 20th birthday when he apparently lost his balance on the balcony and plummeted to his death. Omar Omerzai, 21, was on the balcony with Jinah and another friend at the time of what police are calling an accident.

"I figure he lost his balance," said Omerzai. "I blame the balcony. It is so low."

Buses will be leaving from the Carleton athletic building Thursday at 6 a.m.

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This happened Saturday night, the whole greek community in Ottawa has been pretty affected.

[Taualumna]

Prayers go out to my fellow Canadian Greeks in Ottawa and Ameer's family.