'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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.