Man with ties to gang activity shot dead at a Langley McDonald’s restaurant

Victim – identified as Red Scorpion member Justin Lee Haevischer by the mediawas known to police and had ties to gang activity

THE Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is requesting public assistance to further its investigation into a homicide at a Langley McDonald’s restaurant.

On Tuesday (September 10), shortly after 8 p.m., Langley RCMP frontline officers were called to a McDonald’s restaurant near 264th Street and 56th Avenue for multiple reports of a shooting. They arrived on scene to find a man in his early thirties outside the restaurant with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at scene.

At approximately 8:30 p.m., the Abbotsford Police Department received a report of a vehicle on fire in the 27900-block of Montesina Avenue. The vehicle is a black SUV and is believed to be linked to the earlier shooting. Forensic specialists will be conducting a full examination of the SUV and anyone with information is urged to contact police.

IHIT has conduct of the investigation and is working to notify the victim’s family of his death and so his identity is not being released at this time. The victim was known to police and had ties to gang activity. This is believed to be a targeted incident.

However, Vancouver Sun’s Kim Bolan reported that the victim was Justin Lee Haevischer, 33, a high-profile Red Scorpion. His older brother, Cody, was convicted of first-degree murder in the Surrey Six murder case of October 19, 2007, in which two innocent victims – Chris Mohan, 22, a South Asian, and Edward J. Schellenberg, 55, of Abbotsford  – were also killed in gangland execution style. 

Justin Haevischer was charged in December 2014 with being an accessory after the fact to murder for allegedly helping the convicted killers in the case, Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston, escape after the crime.

In September 2016, he was sentenced to 20 months in jail for helping to dispose of evidence related to the Surrey Six murders.

IHIT is working closely with its partners from the Langley RCMP, the Abbotsford Police Department, the Integrated Forensic Identification Services and the B.C. Coroners Service to gather evidence.

“This was a brazen shooting in a public space and we are fortunate that no one else was hurt,” said IHIT Sgt. Frank Jang. “We are urging witnesses that left the McDonald’s immediately after the shooting to come forward as well as anyone with dash cam video.”

“Langley RCMP is in total agreement with what we expect would be absolute outrage by the community for such a brazen act of violence,” said Superintendent Murray Power, Officer-in-Charge of Langley RCMP. “No grievance between two individuals justifies this level of risk to the community. We will provide any and all necessary support to IHIT in their investigation and continue in our collective effort with our many partners to target the ongoing gang conflict.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551- IHIT (4448), or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

Should you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).