Homicide investigators have been deployed to Langley Wednesday morning.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) are on scene at 207 Street and 53A Avenue, where a vehicle has been covered with a tarp.
Investigators have placed dozens of yellow evidence markers on the ground near the vehicle.
The vehicle is in the middle of the street in front of the offices of the Langley Community Services Society (LCSS) and in a residential neighbourhood of apartments.
Area resident Ross Pearson heard at least two “rapid bursts” of gunfire.
“It was hard to count them, but I’d say there had to be five or six shots at least in each burst, that I heard,” Pearson shared.
“It’s usually a nice quiet area, maybe a homeless person going down the street with a shopping cart, but that’s it,” he said of his City neighbourhood.
Meanwhile, a burned vehicle was later located in Surrey in the area of 180th Street and 20th Avenue.
“We’re looking into the burnt vehicle as likely being related to the Langley homicide,” said Sgt. Frank Jang with IHIT.
Here's the vehicle that was burned out at 20 Ave and 180 St.
— Aaron Hinks (@aaron_hinks) January 27, 2021
Incident being may be related to Langley homicide pic.twitter.com/3y8CroFxNC
The attack is the fourth shooting in 11 days in Langley.
The other incidents included an apparent gun battle between speeding cars in Langley City and Brookswood on Saturday, Jan. 16, a shooting in a Langley City parking garage on Monday, Jan. 18 that left a 27-year-old man with critical injuries, and a shooting at a car in Willoughby that left a victim with minor injuries due to broken glass.
“This has to stop,” said Langley City Mayor Val van den Broek.
She said she was obviously concerned with the gunfire, particularly as the fatal shooting took place in a residential area.
“I trust that the police are doing everything they can to figure out what happened,” van den Broek said.
Homicide investigators are on scene in the area of 207 Street and 53A Avenue in #LangleyBC. More to come. @LangleyTimes pic.twitter.com/lziW4r9erM
— Joti Grewal (@JotiGrewal_) January 27, 2021
Mayor Jack Froese of Langley Township urged anyone involved in the gang lifestyle to get out and avail themselves of the help that is available to do so.
He said that these waves of violence have struck the Lower Mainland before.
“Innocent people have been killed,” and there’s always the fear that another innocent bystander might die in one of these incidents, Froese said.
Langley Community Services Society had to shut down all programs at its hub at 53A Avenue for the day as the whole block was cordoned off by police, said LCSS executive director Sanjeev Nand.
“This is very tragic,” Nand said.
More to come.
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