A man wanted in connection with a shooting at a Surrey elementary school in the fall has been captured in Chilliwack.
Shakiel Basra, wanted for attempted murder and intentionally discharging a firearm, was arrested by the Surrey RCMP's High Risk Target Team without incident in Chilliwack Thursday afternoon.
Basra, believed to be connected with two groups responsible for a spate of shootings in Surrey this year, is in custody awaiting his first court appearance.
Basra is believed to have been involved in a shooting on Sept. 15 in the 7600-block of 124 Street that put one man in hospital and resulted in bullets striking Strawberry Hill Elementary School and a nearby home.
Charges were laid against Basra, 21, from Delta, and Amapreet Samra, 21, from Richmond in September. Samra was subsequently caught, but Basra remained at large for another three months.
His arrest is being described as a significant development in the ongoing drug turf war between a group of South Asians and a group of Somalians.
Basra was one of several men identified by Surrey RCMP about five months ago as being either victims or intended victims of a string of shootings linked to the drug turf dispute in Surrey and Delta that has been simmering since March.
The shooting of the 22-year-old man near Strawberry Hill Elementary on Sept. 15, however, is believed to be the result of a personal dispute.
The victim's injuries in that incident were not life-threatening.
“This arrest and capture is a continuation of our relentless efforts to remove these individuals from our streets and bring them before the courts,” said RCMP Supt. Manny Mann. “I would like to thank our law enforcement partners and Crime Stoppers for their support, as well as the public and the media for their assistance.”