An assault rifle was recovered on the street a block from the scene of Vancouver’s 7th homicide this year. The Vancouver Police Forensic Firearms unit is analyzing the weapon and several cartridges found at the scene, and police are re-interviewing witnesses hoping to obtain more information about the vehicle used by suspects.
Kyle Wong, 20, was getting out of his car in front of his home in the 8400 block of Aqua Street on March 8th at about 8:30 p.m., when he was shot and killed. Investigators believe it was a targeted attack, as Wong was an associate of known gang members. A small, light-coloured import sedan was seen leaving the scene.
“At 35 to 40%, the solve-rate for pre-meditated homicide is significantly lower than for other murder investigations,” says Constable Tim Fanning. “When gangs are planning a targeted attack, they try to catch the victim by surprise and to limit the amount of evidence left at the scene. Quite often police have a likely suspect who winds up becoming the victim of a subsequent murder, so no charges are laid and the investigation is never officially closed.”
The Gang Task Force has dramatically reduced the amount of random violence associated around gangs in the Lower Mainland but targeted attacks are difficult to anticipate and stop. Anyone with information on Vancouver’s latest homicide is asked to call the Vancouver Police Homicide Unit at 604-717-2500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
