Homicide investigators are trying to piece together the last few hours of 18-year-old Meysam Zaki’s life before he died of gunshots wounds beside the Burnaby Lake stretch of Highway 1 Saturday.
Police responded to a report of a shooting on the Trans Canada Highway near the Kensington overpass at about 2:30 p.m., according to an Integrated Homicide Investigation Team news release.
A man had called 911 after the vehicle he was driving was targeted in a shooting that killed his passenger, who has now been identified as Zaki.
The driver, who has not been named, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, according to police.
A suspect vehicle was identified as a black Mercedes Benz SUV, according to IHIT.
At about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Burnaby RCMP got a call about a vehicle fire in the 1100 block of Eastlawn Drive near Beecher Park.
The Burnaby Fire Department had responded to the blaze at 3:39 p.m., according to assistant fire Chief Dan Walton.
Homicide investigators believe the vehicle was the black Mercedes linked to the fatal shooting and has taken conduct of that scene, according to the IHIT release.
Police believe the shooting was targeted, but investigators are still working to confirm where the shots were fired.
They are also looking for information about Zaki’s last few hours.
“We are releasing Mr. Zaki’s name in hopes that witnesses will come forward who can assist us in building a timeline of his whereabouts in the time leading to his death,” IHIT Sgt. Timothy Pierotti said in the release. “Any associates of Mr. Zaki or the second victim are urged to speak with police. IHIT is committed to bring justice for this young man’s family.”
Anyone with information; dashcam video going west on Highway 1 in Burnaby between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday; or dashcam video in the area of Beecher Park between noon and 5 p.m. Saturday is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or [email protected].
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
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