VANCOUVER - A man has been found dead in a parking lot on the Surrey-Langley, B.C., border early Thursday.

The RCMP said the victim was found next to his beige minivan in the parking lot of Hi-Knoll Park, at 50th Avenue and 196th Street around 6 a.m.

RCMP Cpl. Dale Carr said the man, a 33-year-old from Langley, was a targetted hit, but could not confirm whether it was gang related or related to the shootings that have been plaguing the region for two months.

Carr added the man was not previously known to police.

Seventeen people have died as a result of 37 shootings since late January.

Vancouver police also responded to shots being fired in the Yaletown area of downtown overnight. Three shell casings were found, but no one was injured.

With files from The Canadian Press