Man shot to death in Mission was subject of police warning
Posted October 4, 2018 5:13 am.
Last Updated October 4, 2018 7:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MISSION (NEWS 1130) – A man who police had previously warned the public about was shot to death in a parking lot in Mission Wednesday night.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has identified 19-year-old Varinderpal Gill as the victim. Back in August, police issued a warning about Gill, identifying him as a person involved in the ongoing gang conflict in the Lower Mainland.
At the time, police said they believed Gill posed a serious risk to himself and others.
“It has all the hallmarks of a gangland hit,” said Cpl. Frank Jang with IHIT.
One person is in custody, but no charges have been laid.
“This person, we believe, may have information about what happened. Our investigators are speaking with him,” said Jang.
“This person may not be charged, at the end of the day… We believe there may be others that were involved in the murder.”
Shots rang out in the parking lot of the Junction Shopping Centre on London Avenue around 9 p.m. Jang called it a “brazen” shooting.
“Somebody decided to discharge a firearm in the community. We are so fortunate that no one else was hurt.”
Police are looking into surveillance footage and hope to speak to more witnesses.
“We’re going to be working… to find out everything we can about Varinderpal Gill and his associates, his friends, his enemies — anyone that may have had motivation to do him harm,” said Jang.
“We believe there may be a number of people that wanted to do him harm — that wanted him killed.”
The Junction Shopping Centre on London Avenue in Mission was the scene of a fatal shooting on Oct. 5, 2018. (Mike Lloyd, NEWS 1130 Photo)
Ann was in the area at the time of the shooting. “We actually saw the cars coming. We heard squealing tires and we saw the cars fly by us.”
She was having coffee across the street when she heard gunfire. “We heard ‘pop, pop, pop, pop.’ Four times. I said to my daughter, ‘That’s gunshots.’ And then we heard a girl screaming. My instinct was [to go] straight over there, while calling 9-1-1.”
“We got there. He was dead. She was freaking out, this girl,” she added.
The victim was found dead inside a vehicle.
Early Thursday morning, Abbotsford Police were called about a burning SUV in Bateman Park near Bateman Road and Wright Street. Investigators believe that vehicle is linked to the homicide.
“We can only assume… they were trying to discard evidence,” said Jang.
Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551- IHIT (4448). You can stay anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
– With files from Hana Mae Nassar and Sonia Aslam
