Two Surrey youths killed in targeted parkade shooting linked to B.C. gang conflict

Two young men from Surrey, ages 16 and 18, were killed in a late-night shooting in an underground parking garage on Sunday, in what investigators are now treating as a targeted double homicide tied to the ongoing gang conflict in British Columbia. Police say officers were called at about 10 p.m. to the 7000 block of 133B Street, near 70B Avenue, after reports of gunfire in the parkade. Both victims were found with gunshot wounds and died at the scene despite life-saving efforts.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said both victims were Surrey residents. Investigators are now working with their families to better understand the victims’ movements and activities in the hours before the shooting.

Investigators say attack appears targeted

IHIT says early evidence suggests the shooting was deliberate and linked to the province’s ongoing gang conflict. Police have not announced any arrests, and no suspect descriptions had been publicly released as of the latest updates.

Investigators have also identified a possible suspect vehicle: a burnt grey four-door sedan found near 144 Street and 84 Avenue. Police believe it may have been used in the shooting. IHIT is asking anyone with information, or dashcam footage from either the 7000 block of 133B Street or the area around 144 Street and 84 Avenue between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on May 10, to come forward.

Second Surrey shooting the same day

The double homicide marked the second shooting in Surrey on Sunday. Earlier that morning, just before 4 a.m., two men were shot outside a Chevron gas station at 72 Avenue and 152 Street. Both survived and were taken to hospital, with later updates saying one was in serious but stable condition and the other was stable. Police have said they do not believe that shooting was related to the city’s recent extortion-related violence.

Investigators have not said whether the early-morning shooting and the late-night parkade killings are connected.

Mayor calls for gang unit review

In the wake of the shootings, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said she was outraged by the recent wave of gun violence, noting that three people had been killed and two others critically injured in recent incidents in the city. She has called on the Surrey Police Board to review the decision to redeploy members of the city’s gang unit, arguing that specialized officers are essential in tackling gangs, extortion and targeted violence.

Surrey Police Chief Const. Norm Lipinski has said the eight-member gang unit was temporarily repurposed to address the city’s extortion crisis and support the transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service, with regular staffing expected to return by mid-June.

The killings have deepened concern about gang violence in Surrey, especially given the ages of the victims and the speed with which multiple shootings unfolded in a single day.