Update: Police have identified the man shot in Burnaby late Sunday night as 46-year-old Jahanbakhsh Meshkati, whose last known residence was in the Toronto area.
A release from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team issued Tuesday said there are no suspects in the case and no arrests have been made. Police are still looking for a motive for the shooting. They ask anyone with information to call IHIT at 877-551-4448 or Crimestoppers at 800-222-8477.
Previous story: Burnaby residents living near the southern end of Robert Burnaby Park were shocked to learn Monday morning that a man had been shot and killed in their neighbourhood overnight.
Police said a 46-year-old Alberta man was shot several times in the middle of 19th Avenue on Sunday night. They said Monday morning that the man was known to police, but they didn't announce his name.
In its release, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said that the evidence gathered so far indicates that the shooting was targeted.
Harmeet Banwait said he didn’t hear anything when the incident was happening. He learned of the shooting by watching the morning news.
“Flicked on the channel and it was like, woah,” he said. “We look outside the window and we see cops and all this yellow tape.”
“It’s pretty shocking when it’s so close to home, when you look right out your window and see this. It’s sad too.”
Paramedics worked on the man for several minutes, pumping his chest to try to restart his heart, but it was no use. Crews took him to Royal Columbian Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Monday morning, all that remained in the street was the victim’s bloody clothing, and a stain in the street where he bled out.
Officers from IHIT were on the scene in the morning looking for clues, as neighbours wondered what had happened.
Resident Rob Johnson said his wife heard something that sounded like shots or fireworks at around 11 Sunday night, but he didn’t learn what had happened until the morning. He said it’s unusual for there to be so many emergency responders called to the neighbourhood.
“The neighbourhood’s very quiet,” Johnson said. “It’s surprising that this happens here.”
While it may not be common, suspicious deaths in the neighbourhood aren’t unheard of. Three years ago, the burned body of 20-year-old Branson Sanders was left in Robert Burnaby Park. In December, two drug dealers pled guilty to manslaughter in that case.
Still, for Banwait, that case was different. It wasn’t as close to home, and it didn’t change his perception of the neighbourhood.
“It’s a really great neighbourhood,” he said. “I’ve been here for 30 years … You never hear too much about this.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact IHIT at 877-551-4448 or Crimestoppers at 800-222-8477.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Jon Woodward
