A teenage boy found dead on the side of a Surrey street earlier this week was a "great kid" with a passion for cars.
Mounties investigating the shocking case of gun violence are providing no details on motive, but a family friend is sharing what he knows about one of the teenage victims.
The bodies of 16-year-old Jaskarn (Jason) Singh Jhutty and 17-year-old Jaskaran (Jesse or Jassi) Singh Bhangal were found on a rural road Monday evening, and identified to the public on Tuesday. Flowers mark the spot on 40th Avenue where their bodies once lay.
Why the boys were targetted remains unclear. Police said neither had a history with law enforcement, though it was too early to say definitively whether they had ties to drugs or gangs.
A family friend said Bhangal, who attended Frank Hurt Secondary School, had a passion for working on cars and wanted to become a mechanic. Now, his family is mourning.
"I cannot believe how they're surviving now without their kid. It's very hard," neighbour Harvinder Sharma said.
Sharma's children grew up playing with Bhangal from the time he was in elementary school.
"He was so lovely. I miss him a lot. I feel like I lost my kid," Sharma said.
"We lost a great kid."
Sharma said his family talked about moving to another city so they could feel safe.
Adding to the grief felt by friends and family is the fact that they don't know why Bhangal and Jutty were killed.
"We don't know what happened to him. I asked his dad what happened. He told me that we know nothing," Sharma said.
Shots were heard the night the boys were found, and a witness said they saw two vehicles leaving the scene. Two vehicles that had been set on fire were also discovered Monday evening.
Homicide investigators have not said whether a link between the car fires and the shooting has been established, but they did say they believe the shooting was targeted.
Cpl. Frank Jang said investigators have been following up with tips and gathering information. The investigation is ongoing, and officers are looking to speak with anyone who knows more about what happened that night.
"There are still people out there that knew Jesse and Jason and we urge them to come forward if you haven't done so already," Jang said.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Maria Weisgarber