A man dedicated to caring for his patients, and coaching children’s hockey, has been identified as the victim in a fatal Surrey shooting this weekend.
Marty Jones of the Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association says Paul Bennett was the man shot on Saturday.
Bennett, 47, was a married father of two boys and the hockey coach of the Atom C3 team of nine- and 10-year-olds.
The Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association called Bennett’s death heartbreaking.
“A beloved member of our Family has been taken from us, a husband, a father, a brother, a friend and a coach. Paul Bennett devoted much of the past number of years investing in the lives of the young boys and girls of CMHA,” the association wrote in a Facebook post.
“To say Paul has touched the lives of many would be an understatement. I am truly grateful as a first hand witness of this,” the post added.
Bennett's employer, Fraser Health, says he was a "well respected" team member of the the Peace Arch Hospital.
"The circumstances of his passing are incredibly tragic and our thoughts are with his family at this time. He was a passionate advocate for patients and patient care. Staff at our hospital are shocked and deeply saddened, and we are supporting them today and will continue to support them in the coming days," said Wendy Young, a spokesperson for Fraser Health.
When officers arrived at the 18200 block of 67A Ave Saturday, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says officers found a man with gunshot wounds who was taken to hospital and died of his injuries. The homicide teams says it is still early in the investigation, but investigators believe this was not a random incident, and police are working to determine motive.
The homicide team, the Surrey RCMP and the Integrated Forensic Identification Services and B.C. Coroners Service remained on scene Sunday to gather evidence.
IHIT confirmed Bennett’s identity Sunday, and urged anyone with information to call their information line at 1-877-551-4448 or contact Crime Stoppers.
RCMP remain on scene of a fatal shooting. The Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association confirms Paul Bennett, a husband and father of 2 was killed. Neighbours say they believe it was a tragic case of mistaken identity. @CTVVancouver pic.twitter.com/Q4iDxnZnW2
— Breanna Karstens-Smith (@BreannaCTV) June 24, 2018