'He's a good kid': Neighbours identify victim of fatal Burnaby home invasion

Burnaby, B.C. -

Homicide investigators have been called to Burnaby after a home invasion that left a man dead and a woman injured Thursday morning, according to police.

The incident occurred around 7 a.m. at a home in the 7600 block of 17th Avenue.

Burnaby RCMP said in a news release that they believe the attack was targeted.

Much of 17th Avenue near Canada Way was cordoned off Thursday morning as Burnaby RCMP and the Lower Mainland's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team combed through the neighbourhood and spoke to neighbours.

The man was found dead at the scene and the woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

IHIT has assumed conduct of the investigation and officers are looking to speak to those who knew the victims.

“We look to speak to those people as we build a timeline of what exactly happened here and an entire timeline of this person's life that led to this point and any details that could shed light on who would want to do something like this to someone,” said Sgt. Timothy Pierotti with IHIT.

Authorities have not identified the man killed, but neighbours say the victim was a young man with a promising future.

“He’s a good kid, great lacrosse player … some scholarships for that. Hard working kid,” said neighbour Michael Taschner, who watched the man grow up through the years.

“I just don’t know what would’ve caused this,” he said. “I just saw him yesterday and everything was fine.”

Pierotti said investigators are also looking for a possible motive.

“It's too early for us to say exactly what the intention of the people were. But that's why we need people from the public to come forward, people that were in the area that may have heard or seen something,” he said.

Police were scouring the neighbourhood for security cameras and are asking anyone with dash cam video who parked in the neighbourhood to contact them.

It is unclear how many people were involved as police are looking to identify the suspects.

No one has been arrested yet.

Anyone with information is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-4448.