Three months after aspiring actress Maple Batalia was gunned down in a Surrey parking lot, her family is setting up an educational bursary in her honour.
The 19-year-old was shot dead on Sept. 28 near the Surrey campus of Simon Fraser University, putting an end to her dreams of becoming a doctor.
Now the Batalia family wants to help another student reach his or her goals with a memorial bursary dedicated in Maple's honour.
"It gives my mom a little bit of peace and my dad a little bit of peace, and we hope that Maple's looking down and she's proud," sister Roseleen Batalia told CTV News.
The family has kick-started the fundraising drive with a $10,000 donation, and they hope to eventually raise $50,000. Details about contributing are on the "RIP Maple Batalia" Facebook page.
A tribute to Maple set up at SFU still has fresh flowers on display, and there are plans for a more permanent memorial across the street. Surrey City Councillor Barinder Rasode says the commemorative display will include art, a bench and a maple tree.
"Maple was one of those individuals that was really good at whatever she did, whether it was [as] a straight-A science student, an artist, a model, an actress, a daughter, a friend. Really, we want the iconic piece to resemble that part of her life," Rasode said.
Police have yet to arrest or even name a suspect in the murder, leaving the Batalia family with many unanswered questions and a gaping hole in their lives.
"The person who did this one, they have to see us -- without Maple it's really hard for us to live," mother Sarbjit Batalia said.
In October, detectives released surveillance footage of a suspect vehicle seen driving from the site of the murder shortly after the killing. Cameras captured a white, late-model Dodge Charger with a sunroof near the SFU campus.
The Batalias are asking for anyone with information about that car or the murder to contact police.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Bhinder Sajan
