Murder charges in shooting death of Ripudaman Singh Malik in Surrey

Two men have been charged with murder in the shooting death of Ripudaman Singh Malik, a man who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India bombing.

Tanner Fox, 21, and Jose Lopez, 23, are both charged with first-degree murder.

According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, Fox and Lopez were arrested in their homes Wednesday without incident.

“This case was complex with its own unique challenges,” Supt. Mandeep Mooker said. “Our IHIT investigators and partners prevailed because of the dedication and expertise that each investigator brings as part of the integration and partnership.”

Malik was killed on July 14 in what police say was a targeted hit. Homicide investigators believe the suspects waited for Malik before he was shot in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood.

According to the RCMP, officers were called to 128 Street near 82 Avenue for reports that shots had been fired at around 9:30 a.m., and found Malik at the scene.

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Police have said Malik was shot “several times,” adding it’s believed he was alone in his vehicle at the time of the shooting.

“Review of CCTV determined that [a] vehicle arrived at a 8236 128 Street a short time before the shooting and waited for Mr. Malik,” Sgt. David Lee, with IHIT, said the day after the shooting. “It arrived about 7 a.m. and the occupants were waiting for Mr. Malik.”

Malik was acquitted of mass murder and conspiracy charges in connection with the June 23, 1985, bombing of Air India Flight 182, which claimed the lives of 280 Canadians, including 86 children.

Air India Flight 182 was headed from Toronto to London when a bomb detonated and the plane crashed near Ireland, killing all 329 people on board.

– With files from Hana Mae Nassar, Charlie Carey and Martin MacMahon