Two Shootings in Abbotsford, BC, Leave One Man Dead, Another With Serious Injuries

Police in Abbotsford are investigating separate shootings that occurred in the city on Oct. 27. Police tape is shown in Toronto in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Graeme Roy

Two separate shootings in Abbotsford, B.C., have resulted in one man’s death and left another with serious injuries, police say.

Officers responded to the first shooting shortly after 9 a.m. on Oct. 27, after receiving reports of gunfire in the 31300 block of Ridgeview Drive, the Abbottsford Police Department said in press release. The officers found a 68-year-old man inside a parked vehicle with critical injuries. The victim died despite receiving medical attention at the scene.

The second shooting occurred several hours later in the 33200 block of George Ferguson Way. The responding officers discovered a 41-year-old man suffering from serious injuries, who was subsequently airlifted to a local hospital.

One suspect was arrested at the scene and the individual remains in custody, police said. The department did not release any details about the suspect or list any pending charges.

Police described the second attack as “targeted” but investigators said they do not believe it is linked to the first homicide, or to other recent shootings and extortion-related cases in the area.

No arrests have been made in the shooting of the 68-year-old man, and the case has been turned over by the Abbotsford Police Department to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

The authorities are requesting anyone who might have been present in the vicinity of either shooting or who has recorded video footage of either incident to contact them.

A number of shootings have also occurred recently in Surrey, B.C., which is located 45 minutes west of Abbotsford. This includes three shootings in the past three months at Surrey’s Kap’s Cafe, which is owned by Indian comedian Kapil Sharma.

The latest attack on the cafe took place in the early hours of Oct. 16. The shooting resulted in visible damage including bullet holes and shattered windows at the cafe, which is located across the street from a daycare.

No staff were inside the cafe at the time of the shooting and police said no one was injured. Police said the attacks on Kap’s Cafe appeared to be “related to extortion,” and individuals claiming to be affiliated with India’s Lawrence Bishnoi gang said they were responsible for the shooting.

The Bishnoi Gang was designated as a terrorist entity in Canada last month, and is believed to be contributing to a spate of shootings, arson attacks, and extortion efforts across the South Asian community in B.C.’s Lower Mainland in recent months.

Surrey police said its officers were investigating 65 incidents of alleged extortion and 35 shots fired as of Oct. 15.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.