'By mistake they shot me': Coquitlam, B.C., man who survived shooting hoping for justice
A Metro Vancouver man says it’s a miracle he’s alive after becoming the innocent victim of a shooting earlier this year.
Speaking through a translator on Tuesday, Nader Ahmadirad said he was working a second job at a food delivery company in January when he was shot multiple times outside a local home.
“I still have three bullets in my body,” he said. “I feel like a miracle saved my life.”
The 55-year-old Coquitlam resident said he made a delivery around 1 a.m. on Jan. 10 to a home on Kingston Street. He had returned to his car and was finalizing the delivery on his phone, when he saw four people approach.
Initially, Ahmadirad said he didn’t even realize he had been shot.
“I noticed some part of my body was numb, and I saw blood running, and my clothes were torn apart,” he said.
He says he was struck at least seven times, including in the face.
“One of the four guys, he came closer to the window of my vehicle, and shot one bullet,” he said. “I think his intention was probably to shoot my head, but I turned my head slightly.”
Ahmadirad shared a photo of his black Mazda, which was riddled with bullet holes. He was taken to Royal Columbian Hospital, and discharged after two days, but then had to return to be treated for an infection.
Ten months later, there have been no arrests.
“I only heard from police that by mistake they shot me. They were after someone else. I feel frustrated that the case has gone nowhere, and I want my voice to be heard,” he said.
Ahmadirad wants the shooters to be held accountable, and anyone with information to come forward.
“Psychologically, emotionally, it’s haunted me so far,” he said, and added he is still recovering physically as well, and doing physiotherapy. “This trauma can stay with me forever.”
CTV News Vancouver requested to speak to the Coquitlam RCMP about this case. The detachment responded via email, calling it a complex investigation.
It added investigators are still working on gathering evidence and speaking to witnesses, and there are no further updates at this time. Mounties also could not confirm if the shooting was gang-related.
Ahmadirad, who came to Canada from Iran in 2018, said not being able to work has been a struggle.
“Financially, I’ve been really suffering,” he said. “It’s been a very difficult period for me.”
Now, he’s just hoping to see those responsible for the violent act, which he was lucky enough to survive, brought to justice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.