PARDIP Brar, 23, of Delta is the latest victim in the ongoing low-level drug turf conflict in the Lower Mainland.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team on Saturday, to further their ongoing homicide investigation, announced that Brar was the victim of last week’s fatal shooting in Surrey.

On March 9, at approximately 7 p.m., the Surrey RCMP received reports of shots fired in the 6700-block of 137A Street. When officers arrived, they found a man outside on the street with gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. IHIT was called in.

IHIT is working closely with its partners from the Surrey RCMP, the Integrated Forensic Identification Services and the B.C. Coroner’s Service to gather evidence.

A white sport utility vehicle (SUV) and a black sedan were seen leaving the area after the shooting. IHIT would like to speak with anyone that has information about these two vehicles.

Brar was known to police and investigators believe his murder was targeted and linked to other gang violence in the Lower Mainland.

IHIT Cpl. Frank Jang said: “I urge those with information about Mr. Brar’s murder to come forward and speak with IHIT.”

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).

THIS sends a loud and clear message to all those involved in gangs and those wanting to join them that their future is anything but bright.

Besides Pardip Brar, five other young South Asians involved in the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict have been shot dead in the past eight months:

* Lovepreet Singh Dhaliwal, 24, of Abbotsford was shot dead in Abbotsford on January 19 although police said he was trying to leave a criminal lifestyle

* Gavinder Singh Grewal, 30, was murdered in his North Vancouver apartment on December 22, 2017

* Randeep Kang, 27, of Vancouver was shot dead in Surrey on October 27, 2017, while his brother was injured in the same attack

* Pardeep Singh, 22, of Surrey was shot dead in Surrey on August 29, 2017

* Jaspreet Sidhu, 18, of Abbotsford was shot dead in Abbotsford on August 4, 2017

IN March 2015, Brar was one of five young South Asian males from Surrey and Delta who were named by then Surrey RCMP Officer in Charge, Chief Superintendent Bill Fordy, as being allegedly involved in four related shootings in Surrey at the time. The other four were Indervir Johal, Amrit Kular, Sameh Mohammed and Pardeep Singh, all of Surrey.

The RCMP displayed photos of four of them – the photo that was missing was that of Pardeep Singh: he was shot dead in the driveway of a home on August 29, 2017.

Back then, Fordy said: “The four related shootings involve people who are involved in low level drug crime. From the intelligence that has been gathered so far, there is nothing to indicate that these incidents are tied to organized gangs.  However, these people are clearly violent and have shown a complete disregard for public safety.”

In May 2015, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC), Surrey RCMP and Delta Police announced that Brar was one of five individuals who had been arrested and / or charged as they continued to take a collaborative approach on the disruption and dismantling of the groups believed to be involved in the shootings that had occurred in Surrey and Delta. He was facing 12 charges at the time.

Now, almost three years later, Brar has been shot dead.

LOVEPREET (Jason) Singh Dhaliwal, 24, was shot dead on January 19. Abbotsford Police Department received multiple calls of shots fired in the area of Ridgeview Drive and Promontory Court at 6:30 p.m. Police arrived on scene to find a man with gunshot wounds. Dhaliwal was pronounced dead at scene and IHIT was called in.

A black Acura TL was identified leaving the scene immediately after the shooting. A vehicle matching that description was later found burnt in Langley in the 22300-block of 61st Avenue.

IHIT Cpl. Frank Jang said: “There are people who knew Mr. Dhaliwal that may have information that could help us solve his murder. I urge these individuals to come forward and speak with IHIT.”

Incidentally, on September 2, 2015, innocent bystander Ping Shun Ao, 74, was killed after what police believe was a targeted shooting in his neighbour’s driveway in the same area of 3500-block of Promontory Court in Abbotsford where Dhaliwal was shot dead. Police said at the time that the targeted persons were “well known to police.” They were South Asian, as The VOICE reported back then.

GREWAL, who was well known to police and associated to gang activity, was found dead in his apartment in North Vancouver on December 22, 2017. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team believe his murder was targeted and linked to other gang violence in the Lower Mainland.

The killer or killers apparently managed to get into the building from the front door and then went up the stairwell as access to any floor requires a card. CTV showed the broken lock on the stairwell door and the handle lying on the floor where the victim lived. Police had collected fingerprints from that area.

Tenants said that there had been a number of complaints about the apartment where the victim lived. There were loud bangs like that of a bowling ball being dropped late at night. But apparently no action was taken by anyone.

Back in March 2015, Abbotsford Police issued what they called “an important public safety notification” warning the public about three men it believed posed “a risk of significant harm” to the safety of the community and anyone who may associate with them.  The three men were involved in an ongoing conflict and a criminal lifestyle that included violence, drugs, and weapons. Police released their photos in an unusual move.

One of the three was Grewal, who police said had a criminal conviction for extortion and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. He was prohibited from possessing firearms.

In June 2016, almost six years after the crime, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced that Grewal, then 29, and another man had been arrested and charged in the homicide of Mandy Johnson and the attempted murder of Gator Browne in Abbotsford. Grewal was charged with manslaughter in relation to Johnson as well as the attempted murder of Browne.

RANDEEP Kang was shot dead just before 9 p.m. on October 27 in the 11300-block of Alpen Place in Surrey. Emergency first responders found him and his brother with gunshot injuries. Randeep was pronounced dead at the scene, while his brother was taken to hospital.

IHIT Cpl. Frank Jang said at the time: “Mr. Kang was known to police and associated to gang activity. Investigators believe Mr. Kang’s murder was targeted and linked to other gang violence in the Lower Mainland.”

Just after the shooting occurred, Surrey RCMP received a call of a dark-coloured SUV on fire on Wellington Drive, a short distance away from the shooting scene. Investigators believe this vehicle may have been related to the homicide.

Jang said: “This was a brazen shooting in a residential neighbourhood and a blatant disregard for the safety of the public. There are people who have information about what happened. I urge these individuals to come forward and speak with IHIT so that we can hold those responsible to account.”

The VOICE did an exclusive story the following week about the Kang brothers’ house at Kaslo Street and East 22nd Avenue having been shot at just two months earlier on August 21. Vancouver Police said at the time: “Investigators believe the incident was not random and that the house was targeted. There were no injuries.” Sources said the Kang family no longer lived there.

In August 2014, multiple shots were fired at the same house. Although they were not named back then, I had reported then that the house was that of one of the alleged chief players in the gang rivalry that was rocking the South Slope area of East Vancouver.

Police sources told me at the time that basically it was a conflict between two groups of South Asian youths, from four different families. There were two main players and each of them had a special friend.

In fact, because of the ongoing threats of violence at the time, Vancouver Police in August 2015 moved special security cameras to near the Kangs’ house. Just before that those cameras had been installed in the 1400-block of East 54 to keep a check on their rivals.

PARDEEP Singh was killed on August 29, 2017. IHIT Cpl. Meghan Foster told media at the time that the RCMP had met with him to warn him that his life might be in danger and offered him protection after he had been involved in four shootings in less than 24 hours. But he was not cooperative with police.

Singh was shot in the 6300-block of 166th Street in Cloverdale. Surrey RCMP found him with gunshot wounds in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home. He had succumbed to his injuries at the scene.  The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team was called in and investigators were looking for a suspect vehicle described as a light coloured minivan that fled the area after the shooting occurred.

ON August 4, 2017, Jaspreet Sidhu, 18, of Abbotsford was shot dead. IHIT said that Sidhu was known to police and affiliated with gang activity. Abbotsford Police found Sidhu suffering gunshot wounds after he crashed his vehicle into the side of a building along the 32000-block of George Ferguson Way. He was transported to hospital by Emergency Health Services but despite all medical efforts he succumbed to his injuries.

The shooting occurred in the 32000-block of Oriole Crescent, and a suspect male was observed fleeing on a pathway southbound on Oriole Crescent after the shooting occurred.

“This was a brazen shooting that occurred in a residential neighbourhood, and it was a blatant disregard for the safety of the public.”  IHIT Cpl. Meghan Foster said at the time. “It has been said many times before, but if you are involved in criminal activity then you are not immune to the dangers that come with it.  This is another example of a young life that has been lost too soon, and a family has been left devastated.”

SO, who is next?!

 – RATTAN MALL