Well-known Bhangra promoter identified as Surrey shooting victim
Raj Sangha, 41, was shot on Monday in what police believe was a targeted killing
CBC News has learned the identity of a man who was fatally shot in Surrey, B.C., on Monday morning.
Close friends have confirmed Ranjeev "Raj" Sangha, 41, was killed in the 14600 block of Southview Drive in the Panorama Ridge neighbourhood around 11:45 a.m.
But friends say don't know why he was gunned down.
"It doesn't make sense for something like this to happen to a guy like Raj," said long-time friend Gurp Sian.
"He had a heart of gold, he was such a generous person. Very involved with the community. Always supporting the youth, whether it was through his events or reaching out in other ways, he was always pushing for community to come together and keeping youth out of trouble," he said.
Homicide investigators say Sangha had no ties to gangs and was not known to police.
RCMP say he was found suffering from gunshot wounds and died at the scene, despite efforts to revive him.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team believes Sangha was targeted and are trying to establish a motive.
The shooter is believed to have left the area in a black four-door sedan that was later found burning in 12000-block of Cambie Road in Richmond, about 100 metres from a pedestrian path.
Police are asking people who may have seen the car to come forward. They are also seeking dashcam video from drivers who were travelling between Surrey and Richmond along Highway 99 or 91 between 11:46 a.m. and 12:49 p.m.
BURNT VEHICLE: At 12:49pm, a burnt black 4-door sedan was found in the 12000-block Cambie RD, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RichmondBC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RichmondBC</a> (100m from main road on a pedestrian path). Believed to be related to shooting of Ranjeev Sangha an hour earlier. Got info? Call <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IHIT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IHIT</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/SolveCrime?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SolveCrime</a>
—@HomicideTeamSangha was well-known in the city for promoting Bhangra, a popular, traditional Punjabi dance.
In 2011, he won a human rights complaint against the Sheraton Wall Centre after he said he'd been treated unfairly "simply because his organization was involved with music and dance associated with persons whose ancestry was Punjabi."
Police say the area around Monday's crime scene will remain cordoned off for an undetermined amount of time while they investigate the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-4448 or ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Those wishing to remain anonymous can phone Crime Stoppers.