‘It's my only wish’: Grieving Surrey mother still waiting for justice in daughter's slaying

Two years after a young woman in Surrey was gunned down, her family says they still waiting for justice. 

Shana Harris, who was 22, was shot and killed in the Whalley neighbourhood on Feb. 4, 2021. Police responded to a home near 108 Avenue and 139A Street to find her and a man both suffering gunshot wounds. While the male victim survived, Harris-Morris succumbed to her injuries in hospital. Two months after the shooting, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team revealed they believe the man who survived was the sole target.

Harris' mother Kerry Morris says she feels like the investigation has stalled, leaving the family without closure.

"I'm feeling very frustrated that it's taking so long for (homicide investigators) to figure out who has done this to Shana," said Morris.

"It's been almost a year, and now it's almost two years, and I still haven't heard anything.'

CTV News contacted IHIT to ask for an update on the case, but no one was available to provide any information.

Morris said she's been plagued by nightmares for the past two years, unable to sleep soundly knowing that the person who killed her daughter is still at large.

"It's my only wish – birthday wish, Mother's Day wish, Christmas wish -- is just for that," Morris said, referring to her hopes that some day an arrest in the case will be announced.

While the family waits for closure, they are giving back to the community.

Over the last year, Shana's uncle, Ryan Morris, has helped build a bursary in her name.

The Shana Faith Bursary is awarded to a Queen Elizabeth Secondary School student who has overcome hardship, is seeking post-secondary education and is in need of financial help.

After several submissions, the family came across an applicant who checked every box and had a similar passion for animals as Shana. As a result, the family awarded the recent graduate $1,000 to pursue her dream of caring for animals.

"We just found out she completed her vet technician certificate," said Ryan.

The family is hoping to keep Shana's legacy alive by making the bursary an annual award in the hopes they can expand and help more students accomplish their dreams.