2nd victim in shooting that killed 15-year-old bystander planned to carry out hit that night: police

One year after 15-year-old bystander Alfred Wong was fatally shot while riding in his parents' car, Vancouver police have released new details about the events leading up to the public act of violence.

Investigators now believe that a second person killed in the gunfire on Jan. 13, 2018 — 23-year-old Kevin Whiteside — was in the area of East Broadway and Ontario Street to carry out a hit.

According to police, Whiteside was planning to kill Matthew Navas-Rivas that night. Navas-Rivas, 28, was at the nearby Indochine Kitchen with a female companion at the time, and when the couple left the restaurant, a second gunman opened fire.

Both Whiteside and Wong were killed in the gunfire. Wong, a competitive swimmer and volunteer lifeguard, was sitting in the back of his family's vehicle as they drove home to Coquitlam.

"This reckless violence really shook our community and we have zero tolerance for it in our city," Sgt. Mike Heard said in a press release.

"We have been in close contact with Alfred's family over the past year and have been providing them with information and support."

In the past year, police have seized a red Pontiac Montana that was allegedly involved in the shooting, and located video of a dark pickup truck turning into the crime scene at the time of the gunfire.

Investigators are asking the people inside that pickup to contact them.

"This has been an active, complex investigation," Heard said. "We want to ensure we present the best possible case to Crown counsel that leads to a successful conclusion."

Navas-Rivas, Whiteside's alleged target that night, was unharmed in the violence, but his luck only lasted another six months. He was gunned down in July near the Tillicum Community Annex in East Vancouver.

Wong, the innocent victim, was a student at Pinetree Secondary in Coquitlam. Friends remember him as a kind and polite teen, who always tried his best as a member of the Hyack Swim Club.