Police say that a 19-year-old man gunned down in Abbotsford in November 2018 is believed to be the unintended victim of a shooting targeted for someone else.
Sgt. Frank Jang of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said Friday that Jagvir Malhi had no criminal history when he was shot at about 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2018 while driving in the area of Ross and Simpson roads in west Abbotsford.
“However, there were some individuals in his life that were involved in the Lower Mainland gang conflict,” Jang said.
He did not identify those people or the person who investigators believe was the actual target of the shooting.
Jang also released new details from the investigation.
He said a dark-blue Acura TL on fire was found in Surrey, in the area of 128A Street and 109 Avenue, less than an hour after the killing. Fire crews quickly extinguished the fire before there was any extensive damage, and investigators were able to link the vehicle to the shooting.
Police also captured extensive video surveillance footage from the area, including one that showed a white Mazda 3 driving in tandem with a blue Acura TL.
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Investigators believe the occupants of the Acura set the vehicle on fire and then left the area in the white Mazda 3, Jang said.
Malhi lived in the area of the shooting, and he was killed while he was on his way to University of the Fraser Valley, where he was in his second year of criminology studies.
He was airlifted from the scene, but died shortly afterwards in hospital.
Following the shooting, IHIT stated that the killing was believed to be “gang-related,” although they didn’t specify the connection.
IHIT later confirmed that Malhi was not involved in gangs or criminal activity but knew people who were.
Two friends who spoke to the Abbotsford News said that Malhi was a role model in the community.
Malhi – whose nickname was “Juggy” – wanted to be a corrections officer and was also studying for his real estate licence.
He was also an avid basketball player and had been part of the leadership team at W. J. Mouat Secondary, from which he graduated in 2017.
Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448, email ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
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