COQUITLAM, B.C. -- A 20-year-old man has been identified as the victim of a brazen shooting in a popular Coquitlam, B.C., park Monday evening.
The killing happened around 6:30 p.m. in front of dozens of witnesses at a basketball court at Town Centre Park, and homicide investigators are still searching for a suspect.
Sgt. Frank Jang with the Integrated Homcide Investigation Team said they believe the victim, Bailey McKinney, was “targeted for murder."
“We believe he had conflict with certain individuals,” Jang said, and added McKinney had interactions with police in the past.
Court records show someone with the same name facing a number of charges, including unlawful confinement, assault with a weapon, and possession for the purpose of trafficking, with court dates set for next month.
Jang said McKinney was found lying on the ground when police responded to calls of shots fired at the park, and investigators believe there may have been 40 to 50 people in the area at the time.
Police are now hoping to speak with those witnesses.
“When the shots rang out, a lot of them scattered, understandably, from the shock of having witnessed a shooting take place,” Jang said. “There may be some who actually knew our victim who were there, and some perhaps may even know the shooter.”
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart said he was in the park Monday night at the time of the shooting, but didn’t witness what happened.
“There were hundreds of people in the park,” he said. “It was very jarring to have something very tragic happen in a place that is normally filled with the laughter of children.”
Stewart is asking anyone with information to come forward and speak with investigators.
“We want our community to feel safe,” he said. “We know it is safe, but we want everyone to feel safe as well, and part of that will come when the person that did this is arrested.”
At this point, homicide investigators do not believe the shooting is linked to the ongoing gang conflict in Metro Vancouver.
A dark-coloured sedan was towed from a parking lot near the basketball court on Monday night. The court itself remained behind police tape for several hours on Tuesday, along with a large section of the surrounding area.
Investigators have been canvassing for witnesses and video, and are still trying to determine who McKinney may have been worth, and what the motive was behind his killing.
Anyone with information can call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-4448, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
