Surveillance footage captured the moment a gunman wielding an automatic weapon unleashed a hail of bullets on a blacked-out BMW in suburban Vancouver.
The early morning shooting occurred at around 12:25 am PT on Thursday in Metro Vancouver’s White Rock, and left four men hospitalized in serious condition.
The video, obtained by Radio Punjab, provides a glimpse into the chaotic events that transpired as a gunman on foot opens fire at a driver seemingly attempting to exit a parking lot, leaving the SUV riddled with bullets on the driver’s side.
The incident appears to be targeted, though the authorities are yet to identify the suspects, according to White Rock RCMP Constable Chantal Sears.
‘There were definitely multiple rounds fired but we don’t know if there was one shooter or multiple shooters at this time,’ Sears told CBC.
Multiple witnesses alerted the authorities when they heard the sound of gunfire and a subsequent vehicle collision near the intersection of Roper Avenue and Lee Street.
Upon arrival at the scene, law enforcement found the four injured men alongside a black BMW SUV, riddled with bullets, which had collided with a fence and hedge.
Shortly after the shooting, a potential suspect vehicle was found engulfed in flames in neighboring Surrey, B.C, however, Sears noted that a definitive link has not yet been established.
The four injured victims are expected to survive, Sears told the outlet.
The early morning shooting occurred at around 12:25 am PT on Thursday in Metro Vancouver’s White Rock, and left four men hospitalized in serious condition
Shortly after the shooting, a potential suspect vehicle was found engulfed in flames in neighboring Surrey, B.C
Various law enforcement agencies are assisting in the ongoing investigation – including White Rock RCMP, the Lower Mainland District Integrated Police Dog Services, the Integrated Forensic Identification Services, Surrey RCMP, and the Surrey Police Service.
This comes as as authorities in British Columbia announced the dismantling of a major criminal organization involved in the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pharmaceuticals – in a separate development.
Eight men with ties to organized crime were arrested in Metro Vancouver communities such as Surrey, Richmond, and Delta, one of which was later connected to a gang-related murder plot.
Last year, the province of British Columbia— which includes Vancouver — announced the start of a three-year experiment to decriminalize all hard drugs.
Last year, the province of British Columbia— which includes Vancouver — announced the start of a three-year experiment to decriminalize all hard drugs. (Pictured: Medics attend to an overdose victim in Vancouver in May 2022)
Health officials have said it was meant to break down the ‘barriers and stigma’ of drug addiction and reducing the rising number of fatal overdoses by ensuring that drug users can access ‘pure’ supplies safely manufactured by pharmaceutical companies.
Some 14,000 people have died from fatal overdoses in British Columbia — currently an average of five a day — since the province, which has a population of 5.3 million, declared a public health emergency in 2016.
In 2021, fentanyl — which dealers mix into other drugs because it is cheap and incredibly strong — was involved in 87 per cent of these deaths. In Vancouver alone, at least 2,200 addicts live in tents.