Police are probing what appears to be Richmond’s sixth homicide of 2017, after the body of 24-year-old Jasdeep Singh Klair was found in a car in a family neighbourhood in the middle of Mother’s Day.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) released the victim’s name on Monday afternoon, almost 24 hours after his silver BMW veered off the road and crashed into a property near Granville Avenue and No. 2 Road.
It appears that the car hit some shrubbery on the corner of Ledway Road, west of No. 2 Road at about 2:25 p.m.
Klair, who is known to police, was pronounced dead at the scene and IHIT is treating the incident as a targeted shooting.
It is believed that Klair was shot while driving his vehicle and, as a result of his injuries, lost consciousness, resulting in the car crashing a short distance away on Granville Avenue.
Despite many individuals in the area hearing the gunfire, police did not receive any calls to attend for shots fired, but rather were called for the car crash following the shooting.
Police say the evidence thus far points towards a suspect vehicle in the Lindsay Road neighbourhood, that fled the scene after Klair was shot.
The suspect vehicle was found less than an hour later in the 4400 block of Thompson Road and is described as a 2010, orange Kia Forte, which was reported stolen from the Surrey area in March.
“This homicide occurred in a heavily populated residential area at a busy time of day,” said IHIT Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound.
“Due to the distinct description of this vehicle, police believe there are individuals who can assist in bringing further information forward and/or assist by identifying the occupant(s) of the suspect vehicle.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crimestoppers or the IHIT tipline at 1-877-551-4448.
The daytime homicide was described as “brazen” by an RCMP officer at the scene.
“It’s very concerning to the police and community here in Richmond that we would have such a brazen incident that would result in a homicide here on a Sunday, a nice sunny afternoon on Mother’s Day,” Insp. Keith Bramhill told Global B.C.
The incident is eerily similar to Richmond’s first homicide of 2017.
On Jan. 10, 21-year-old Calvin Chi Hang Zhao of Vancouver was found dead with gunshot wounds in a black Jeep SUV near Granville Avenue and Ash Street, about three kilometres east of Sunday’s homicide.
Police said that shooting was targeted. A suspect vehicle, a white SUV, was seen leaving the scene. No arrests have been announced in Zhao’s death.
