Homicide investigators say the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old man Thursday in Burnaby, B.C., was targeted and connected to the province’s ongoing gang conflict.
Police were called to reports of shots fired near the intersection of Canada Way and Smith Avenue just before 5:30 p.m.
Officers found one man at the scene with significant injuries. “Despite life-saving efforts, the man did not survive,” the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said in a statement.
The agency has identified the victim as Dilraj Singh Gill of Vancouver, who investigators say was known to police.
Witnesses told CTV News that several gunshots rang out during a chaotic scene in the midst of the evening rush hour.
One witness said he initially thought the sound was a motorcycle engine backfiring, while another said he heard the shots and then looked to see a man lying on the ground in the parking lot of the nearby Chevron gas station.
Another witness said he saw the suspect flee the scene on foot through a plaza to the west of the gas station.
The shooter remained at large Friday and no arrests have been made.
Burned vehicle linked to killing
A statement from B.C. Emergency Health Services says paramedics were called to the scene at 5:35 p.m.
“One ambulance with primary care paramedics and one ambulance with advanced care paramedics responded,” paramedic spokesperson Brian Twaites said in an email to CTV News. “No patients were transported.”
A short time later, police located a vehicle on fire roughly four kilometres away in the 5000 block of Buxton Street. In an update Friday, homicide detectives confirmed the burned car is connected to the shooting, and an investigation is underway to gather more details about the vehicle.
“A shooting, especially in a public place, is extremely troubling, not only for the police but for the entire community,” Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT said in a statement.
“Information from witnesses and those in the area will be crucial in ensuring this investigation advances and to hold those responsible accountable.”
Authorities said they do not believe there is any heightened risk to the public following the killing. In the update, IHIT says it chose to release the victim’s identity as a way to further its investigation.
Police are asking anyone with information or video linked to the shooting or the vehicle fire to contact investigators at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
