The 13-year-old girl who was found murdered in Burnaby's Central Park last week was the victim of a random attack, homicide investigators announced Wednesday.
Seven days in, the probe into Marrisa Shen's death remains in the early stages, but the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said the evidence gathered indicates she was not targeted.
"Her death was random. Her murder was random," Cpl. Meghan Foster told reporters.
The update confirmed what many parents have feared since learning of Shen's death. Unfortunately, the murderer remains on the loose, and police have yet to identify a suspect in the case.
Foster did confirm there's nothing yet tying the teenager's death to any other killings.
"These events have caused great distress and sparked concerns about safety in the community. I can say that there have been no links made between this homicide and other reported acts of violence," she said.
Mounties have increased patrols, but Mayor Derek Corrigan still recommended people avoid parks in the city after nightfall.
"Everybody should be hesitant about going into the park after dark," Corrigan said. "No one knows why you're there and what your purpose is."
Investigators are still working to confirm Shen's whereabouts between 6 p.m. on July 18 and 1 a.m. on July 19, when her body was discovered in a heavily wooded area.
Burnaby RCMP asked anyone who took photographs or videos in Central Park or the surrounding area over that time period to come forward immediately and help them fill in the gaps in their probe.
Supt. Chuck McDonald said even images and video that might seem insignificant should be turned over to police.
"There's no need for you to try and screen the video looking for anything. If you have video [or still images] from that night, whether it's dashcam or personal video or selfies… get that video or stills to us," McDonald said.
Police are not releasing any details about how Shen was killed. They also would not confirm Wednesday whether a tent inside the park that remains behind caution tape is related to their probe.
"I can't speak to the evidence of the investigation," Foster said.
"We understand that there are many questions but in light of how the facts present, we ask that the public remain vigilant. Marrisa's death was senseless."
Last Thursday, police released surveillance images of Shen taken hours before her murder to help jog the memory of anyone who might have seen her.
The teenager, who was wearing dark shorts and a dark T-shirt, was walking into her family's apartment, the last place where she was seen alive.
Her grieving family has so far kept private, but Foster said IHIT remains in contact with them, and they are struggling.
"They're in pain. They're suffering the loss of their daughter, their sister, and they're leaning to cope in these hard times. And our thoughts go out to them," she said.
"That's why it's important that anyone with information contact us so that we can follow up with them and locate the person or persons responsible."
Anyone with information on Shen's murder can contact the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-IHIT, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
