The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has identified the victim of a South Surrey shooting that happened just before Christmas.
Keeshawn Brown, 18, was found dead in a home in the 2200-block of 152nd Street on shortly before 9:30 p.m. Dec. 23, IHIT said in a release Friday (Dec. 27).
READ MORE: Man found dead in South Surrey home, IHIT investigating
Police said Brown, who was from Ontario, was found inside the home with gunshot wounds. Brown is also known as rapper Why-S.
IHIT said that investigators believe this was an “isolated event, not related to the Lower Mainland gang conflict.”
While it was isolated, IHIT Detective Lara Jansen said it was targeted.
“At this stage, they feel that the suspect and victim were likely know to each other and that’s just based on evidence they’ve come across so far.”
Jansen said it is her understanding that Brown was “not known to police in B.C.,” but he “may have had police contact in Ontario.”
“However, I don’t know the nature of those contacts.”
Investigators, Jansen said, are trying to determine how long Brown had been in B.C. and his activities leading up to his death. She also said she doesn’t know where in Ontario Brown is from.
“Right now, it’s largely unknown,” Jansen said. “Investigators don’t even know how long Mr. Brown had been staying there.”
Surrey RCMP confirmed in a Dec. 24 news release that IHIT was called in after a man was found dead shortly before 9:30 p.m., when police responded to a report of “a man located deceased in a residence.”
“Early indications are that the incident was contained to the inside of the residence and that there is no ongoing threat to the public,” a news release issued Dec. 24 stated.
Jansen said she doesn’t know who owns the property or who lives there.
“The only information that’s been given to me (is) that he is the only one who was there.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-4448 or ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
According to hiphopcanada.com, Why-S (Brown) is associated with Blue Feathers Records/Vanishyah Entertainment, and has had several releases this year, including John Wick, and a single, Swag Mine.
He was killed less than 24 hours after another Toronto hip-hop artist, known as Bvlly, was shot to death in Oshawa, the website states.
Jansen said as far as she’s aware there aren’t any links between the two murders.
