The man murdered in a truck late Saturday night was playing hockey in a recreational centre in North Vancouver moments before he was shot, RCMP said Monday.

Chi Wai "Darren" Liao of Burnaby was regularly involved in a hockey league that played in North Vancouver, said RCMP Cpl. Dale Carr.

Liao, who is in his early 20s, is known to police, Carr said. But it's too early to tell if his death has anything to do with gang activity or is linked to drugs, he said.

Still, it's certain that the hit was "targeted," Carr said.

The quiet neighbourhood of Delbrook in North Vancouver was roused at about 11:15 p.m. Saturday night with what residents thought were firecrackers.

But when police arrived, they found Liao shot dead in his Ford 4 by 4 truck, with glass shattered everywhere.

"Delbrook is a quiet neighbourhood," RCMP Cpl. Randall Wong told CTV at the crime scene. "We don't see a lot of this stuff.

"It's a shock to the police and the public," he said.

Police dogs and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team were called, said Wong. Residents watched as police cordoned off the area with tape.

When asked if the public should be concerned, Wong said, "Absolutely. There's someone out there with a gun."

A total of six men have been fatally shot in Metro Vancouver so far this year and it's only February 10th.

But Cpl. Dale Carr of the RCMP's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team told CTV that just because there have been few arrests doesn't mean that the police don't know who is likely behind the hits.

Often times, when they ask for approval from prosecution lawyers who will try the case in court, they are told that the witnesses are unsavoury and that won't result in convictions.

"We've got all of the evidence, we have witnesses lined up, and crown has stated or commented that it doesn't meet their charge standard," said Carr.

But Attorney-General Wally Oppal says the Crown isn't to blame.

"We're like anyone else. We want to see convictions here," he said. "But we also don't want to see wrongful convictions based on witnesses who may be unsavoury witnesses who have criminal records who aren't telling the truth."

He says the crown and police are working closer than ever to bring charges in these cases. In the meantime, Metro Vancouver's body count continues to climb.