ON Tuesday, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) released video footage, photographs and descriptions of two people who were seen exiting the getaway vehicle – dark blue Mazda 3 with the stolen licence plates – after Milad Rahimi, 34, was shot to death at a North Vancouver grocery store parking lot.
On Friday, March 11 at approximately 2:45 p.m., North Vancouver RCMP received multiple reports of shots fired in the parking lot of the Real Canadian Superstore located at 333 Seymour Boulevard.
North Vancouver RCMP frontline officers and BC Emergency Health Services (EHS) attended and located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was taken to hospital and despite all efforts to revive him, Rahimi succumbed to his injuries.
IHIT Detective Corporal Sukhi Dhesi told the media that with the assistance of members of the public, their investigators located the suspect vehicle. On Saturday, March 12 at 7 p.m., North Vancouver Fire Department and North Vancouver RCMP responded to the 300-block of Tempe Crescent for reports of a car fire. During the investigation, it was determined to be the suspect vehicle.
“We are urging the public to look carefully at the images and video in order to assist IHIT investigators to identify these individuals. If anyone recognizes or saw these people in the area of 300-block Tempe Crescent or in the surrounding area, you are asked to contact IHIT immediately,” Dhesi said.
IHIT investigators are asking for any witnesses, dashcam or CCTV footage in this area from Friday March 11 between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 12 between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. The investigators are attempting to identify the two people seen exiting the Mazda 3.
The driver had on a white medical mask and black hoodie and was carrying a grey backpack with a single strap. He wore grey pants with either a patched or torn pattern.
The passenger had on a three-quarter-length black jacket with hood. The jacket had a distinct white symbol on the left shoulder. He wore grey pants and black shoes.
“IHIT investigators want to speak with anyone who can identify these individuals or saw them in the vicinity of the 300-block of Tempe Crescent in an effort to further our investigation. We are interested in identifying these individuals and speaking with them,” said Dhesi.
“We are in the early stages of the investigation and our investigators are working tirelessly to complete priority tasks.
“We are pleading to anyone with information about his murder to contact IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.”
As The VOICE had reported last Saturday, according to Staff-Sgt. Lindsey Houghton of the Combined Special Forces Enforcement Unit of B.C. (CFSEU-BC), Rahimi has had ties historically to the United Nations gang and many other gangs, including those in conflict with the UN gang. He suggested that this was going to be a very complex, long investigation.
In 2008, Rahimi was arrested in connection to a violent kidnapping, though all charges against him were stayed later on. In that incident, a 20-year-old man was grabbed in Vancouver and put in a new-model BMW 5-series sedan. The man, who was found in West Vancouver the next day, suffered facial injuries. Rahimi, then 20, was arrested and was to appear in court on charges of kidnapping, unlawful confinement, extortion, assault and robbery.
Canada-wide warrants were issued for the two other suspects, including Mo (Mohammed) Rahimi, then 22. But charges against Mo Rahimi were also dropped.
Interestingly, a media report in 2015 stated: “[Mo] Rahimi and his brother Milad vanished for several months last year and police in B.C. received information that they had been killed in Thailand. The reports ended up being false and the siblings returned to the Lower Mainland last fall [2014].”
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