Man seriously injured in daylight shooting, Surrey RCMP say

Police are investigating a daylight shooting in Surrey, B.C., that left a man seriously injured Friday.

Authorities said they responded to a report of gunfire near the busy intersection of Scott Road and 84 Avenue shortly after 1:30 p.m.

“Our front-line members attended the area and located a male who had suffered from gunshot wounds,” said Const. Parmbir Kahlon, a media relations officer with the Surrey RCMP. “He was transported to the hospital for his injuries.”

CTV News spoke with a construction worker who witnessed the shooting. He said he hid behind the light pole he was working on when he heard the initial four gunshots.

“I turned around and saw a few more shots fired and then a vehicle took off westbound on 84 Avenue through the intersection on 120th,” said the man, who did not want to be identified.

Approximately 30 minutes after the shooting, Surrey RCMP also responded to a vehicle fire across the city, near 179 Street and 99A Avenue.

Kahlon said it was not yet clear whether the two instances were connected.

He added no one has been arrested, and that there is no risk to the public. 

The incident followed about 36 hours after another shooting in the city that targeted the home of a Sikh activist, though there's been no indication the shootings are connected.

Authorities said the previous shooting happened before 1:30 a.m. Thursday, when someone opened fire on a property on 154 Street.

In a statement, Surrey RCMP Sgt. Tammy Lobb said investigators believe that shooting was "an isolated incident," though she could not comment on the motive.

A spokesperson for the group Sikhs For Justice, which advocates for Sikh independence, has since said community members believe the shooting was linked to Indian foreign interference because the homeowner is an associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the gurdwara leader who was gunned down last June.

With files from The Canadian Press