VANCOUVER -- The chief of the Delta Police Department sought to calm anxiety Tuesday about a brazen shooting outside a shopping mall that killed a 29-year-old corrections officer over the weekend.
But Chief Neil Dubord told a news conference it was still too early to rule out any possible motives in the killing of Bikramdeep Randhawa, including whether his slaying was a case of mistaken identity.
“Is there any other involvement in relation to his corrections job?” Dubord asked. “We’re looking at all the options but really don’t have the answers yet.”
Randhawa had worked at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre since 2016.
Police have previously said they were exploring whether the shooting was connected to his professional or personal life, among other possibilities.
Dubord said while the killing “has all the markings” of being gang-related, police can’t confirm that yet, or whether the shooting is connected to any others in the Lower Mainland.
The chief was also asked about video recorded by a witness that shows what appears to be a man carrying a gun vaulting a hedge in the parking lot, then getting into a grey Mazda SUV after someone inside appears to unlock the door. That vehicle was later found burned out in Burnaby.
“That’s the stuff you see in the movies, not real life,” Dubord said.
He added that the department has added a portal to its website to make it easier for witnesses to upload video or images they think may be related to the case.
Mayor George Harvie also sought to reassure the community: “I want to assure the people in North Delta that you are safe. There’s additional constables and additional police force members that are on the road and on the ground,” Harvie said.
