SURREY — Homicide investigators have released images and footage of a suspect taken “seconds prior” to the fatal shooting of Birinderjeet Justin Bhangu, 29, killed on Monday.
Bhangu is Surrey’s third homicide victim this year. He was found in a vehicle in the parking lot of the Comfort Inn Hotel, in the 8200-block of 166th Street, at about 2:30 p.m.
Staff Sergeant Jennifer Pound, a spokeswoman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said
Bhangu had been driving an Acura MDX and pulled into a parking stall in front of the hotel at 2:22 p.m. The suspect, she said, exited a Nissan Pathfinder that was backed into a parking stall near Bhangu at 2:23 p.m. and approached him from his driver’s side.
‘While approaching the vehicle, the suspect begins shooting at 2:24 p.m.,” Pound alleged. “The suspect ran back to his vehicle and fled the parking lot westbound making a right hand turn onto Fraser Highway. The Nissan Pathfinder, driven by the suspect, was recovered in Kelowna the following day, March 14.
“Members of the community, the general public and even those entrenched in this lifestyle themselves should be outraged by the arrogance and inhumanity that was exhibited on this day,” Pound said. “This was a shooting in broad daylight in an area where families and community members frequent. For this, we need anyone with information about this individual to come forward.”
Corporal Meghan Foster, also a spokeswoman for IHIT, said Bhangu “was known to police and evidence collected suggests this was a targeted homicide. This blatant act of violence was committed in a busy area of the community and fortunately no one else was hurt.”
Police ask anyone with information to contact the IHIT tips line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448).
This was Surrey’s eighth shots-fired incident in 2017.
