A 14-year-old Burnaby boy has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting Monday night (Dec. 28) in Surrey.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is investigating after the teen was shot and killed in Guildford, a residential area.
Around 7:30 p.m., police responded to an incident in the 11000-block of 148A Street where the victim was found “suffering from gunshot wounds,” according to a release from Surrey RCMP.
“Most of us can’t begin to fathom that someone as young as 14 years old could be shot and murdered,” said Sgt. Elenore Sturko of the Surrey RCMP. “It’s very disturbing.”
IHIT Sgt. Frank Jang said the Burnaby teen had been driven to the area by taxi and that he died at the scene.
"No one else was harmed as a result of this incident and the taxi driver is cooperating with the investigation," said a news release from IHIT. "A dark sedan was seen quickly leaving the area after the shooting. At around 8 p.m., a vehicle on fire in the area of 214 Street and 76 Avenue was reported to the Langley RCMP. Investigators are working to determine if this vehicle is related to the Surrey homicide.
The victim was "known to police and the shooting is believed to be a targeted incident and investigators will be working to determine motive, said IHIT.
The shooting took place as IHIT was providing more information about a Sunday night shooting in the Whalley area that killed 19-year-old Harman Singh Dhesi.
Jang says Dhesi was known to police and his death and the Guildford-area shooting both appear to have been targeted.
He says a burning vehicle was found not far from the scene in each of the cases and officers are trying to determine any links.
Jang has appealed for dash cam or surveillance video from anyone in the area of the Sunday shooting at 137A Street and 90th Avenue or the Monday attack in the 11000-block of 148A Street.
- With files from Canadian Press
