Delta police say burning vehicle in Surrey may be linked to shooting

Delta police say they believe a vehicle that was found on fire in Surrey Thursday night is connected to a shooting that sent one person to the hospital.

The shooting on 82nd Avenue near 112 Street was reported to police around 5:45 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a person with severe injuries. They remain in the hospital in critical condition, police say.

Shortly after calls about the shooting, the Surrey RCMP received reports of a vehicle on fire in that city. Investigators believe the two cases are related, with the Delta Police Department (DPD) saying it has since taken over the vehicle investigation.

“The recovery of a burning vehicle following a shooting is a hallmark of the recent spate of violence involving the ongoing BC Gang Conflict,” the DPD said in a release Friday.

The department is trying to assure the community that the shooting “was targeted,” noting the gang affiliation of “those involved.”

“In addition, currently, this shooting has no direct links to other recently publicized investigations involving violence which have occurred in the Lower Mainland in the last couple of weeks,” police add.

As the investigation progresses, police are urging “people closest to gang members and drug dealers” to help “disrupt the lifestyle.” Investigators are asking those connected to gangs to reach out to the CFSEU at 604-897-6023 or gangintervention@cfseu.bc.ca.

Police are asking anyone with information about Thursday’s shooting or the vehicle fire to contact investigators at 604-946-4411 or tips@deltapolice.ca. You can also make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

-With files from James Paracy