Victim of shooting at Vancouver luxury hotel identified; vehicle fire also under investigation

Vancouver -

The victim of a shooting at an upscale hotel near Vancouver's waterfront has been identified.

Vancouver police said the man found unresponsive in the Fairmont Pacific Rim's parkade was 35-year-old Amandeep Manj. He was found by hotel staff on level three of the parkade around 3:30 p.m. and pronounced dead at the scene.

A huge police presence formed around the hotel after the victim was discovered, and the hotel's parkade was cordoned off with police tape.

At about 10 p.m. two cars were towed out of the parkade, a silver Buick and red Mustang, both with visible bullet holes. Police sources told CTV News Manj was found inside the Mustang while the Buick was unrelated, and described as “collateral damage.”

Manj was known to police. In 2009, someone with the same name was one of two men charged with a number of weapons offences as part of a crackdown on gang violence in Vancouver.

However, on Thursday, Const. Tania Visintin stopped short of connecting Manj’s murder with the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict.

“Yes, there is a history with him, with this lifestyle but to say if he’s an active member right now, what is going on, that is something we are looking into,” Const. Visintin said. “This whole picture paints the scene of a hallmark, target gang-style shooting so it fits that umbrella.”

Visintin said police are now concerned about a possible retaliation attack.

“When a shooting of this nature does occur it always does pose a risk of retaliation and that’s where the public safety does come into risk, as there could always be innocent bystanders,” she said.

Police are also investigating if an arson in East Vancouver is connected to Wednesday’s shooting.

Early Thursday morning, two residential streets were behind police tape after a burned vehicle was found overnight.

Witnesses say when crews arrived at the intersection of Penticton and Charles streets, a truck was engulfed in flames.

“Investigators are working to determine if there is a connection with that arson and the murder from last night," Visintin said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 604-717-2500. Tips can also be left anonymously with Crime Stoppers.