Notorious gangster killed in targeted shooting, unknown victim stabbed to death
Two homicides this weekend drew heavy police presence to South Vancouver’s Sunset neighbourhood and the West End’s Davie Village.
At 1:30 a.m. Sunday, a 28-year-old man was shot outside Fraserview Banquet Hall on Fraser Street near South East Marine Drive.
Police say they performed CPR on the victim until paramedics arrived, but he died at the scene.
Video from the scene shows his body covered by a grey blanket being loaded into the back of a truck by first responders. A white tent and several yellow evidence cones were also seen.
Police say the shooting was targeted and related to B.C.’s ongoing gang conflict.
CFSEU-BC, the province’s anti-gang police agency, confirmed to CTV News that the victim was well-known gangster Amarpreet Samra.
Samra was previously named by the agency in a list of 11 individuals involved in gang conflict. CFSEU warned the public against interacting with the men as they “pose a significant risk to public safety.”
He was listed in the public warning in 2021 and again in 2022.
"It is highly likely a rival gangster will target them with violence," CFSEU Asst. Cmdr. Manny Mann said when the public was last warned in September 2022, adding the men listed are a risk to their friends and family as well as bystanders.
Kash Heed, a former police chief and BC Solicitor-General, told CTV News officers can do more to stop the gang rivals from harming one another.
“We know about the conflict with the red scorpions; we know about the conflict with the United Nations; we know about the conflicts with some of the South Asian gangs that are taking place right now. We need to intervene on those particular conflicts,” Heed said.
Anyone with information that could assist investigators is asked to call the Vancouver Police Homicide Unit at 604-717-2500.
FATAL STABBING
About three hours before the shooting, police were called to a stabbing on Bute and Davie streets Saturday night.
Several evidence markers lined the sidewalk and road in front of the BC Liquor Store.
VPD say it happened just before 10 p.m. The victim, a man who has not been identified, was taken to hospital where he later died.
Some West End residents told CTV News they were alarmed to stumble upon a crime scene in their neighbourhood.
“At 10:10 pm, I pass by here, saw so many police and you know, ambulance here,” Yuoko Ro recalled. “Every time we hear those news, it’s not comfortable and actually, you know, it's a scary.”
No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing, police say.
Anyone with information is asked to call VPD’s homicide unit.
Police tape is seen near Davie and Bute streets following a fatal stabbing on May 27, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.