Mike Hamad defends brother in killiings resulting from online feud

WARREN

Mike Hamad, brother of Nasser Hamad, spoke outside of the courtroom, saying the prosecution of his brother on murder charges is a waste of taxpayer money.

“Five people jump one guy. Luckily, he’s still alive,” he said Wednesday. He defended himself, and “unfortunately two people got shot and died. But what would you do?”

He said in the days before the shootings, Howland police apparently didn’t think the conflict between his brother and a group of people associated with his girlfriend was serious enough to stop.

His brother, 48, of state Route 46 in Howland, is facing two counts of aggravated murder and several counts of attempted aggravated murder in the Feb. 25 confrontation at his house that killed two young men and injured three other people.

Police say the five people went to Hamad’s house in an ongoing dispute. They arrived after Facebook exchanges earlier in the day in which both sides taunted the other to fight.

Read more about the case in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.