British Columbia

Vancouver police investigate 'targeted murders' of 2 women in West Point Grey

Vancouver police's homicide unit is investigating after the bodies of two women were found shot dead in a vehicle in the upscale neighbourhood on Sunday.

Women shot dead in car on Sunday at Discovery Street and West 8th Avenue, police say

Vancouver police investigators examine a white BMW at the scene of what a spokesperson called a 'very serious incident' Sunday on the city's west side. Police later confirmed two women were shot dead in their car. (Shane MacKichan)

Two women were shot dead in their car in Vancouver's upscale West Point Grey neighbourhood on Sunday, police have confirmed, in what officers described as "targeted murders."

The Vancouver Police Department's homicide unit is investigating what a spokesperson earlier called a "very serious incident" in the city's west side, and by 9 p.m. PT had confirmed the killings are the city's first and second homicides of 2022.

The two victims were found by a local resident who police said was out for a walk Sunday, and have been identified by police as Shu-Min Wu, 50, and Ying Ying Sun, 39.

A police spokesperson said they received a report of trouble Sunday near the intersection of Discovery Street and West 8th Avenue.

"Vancouver's Emergency Response Team was briefly deployed to the neighbourhood Sunday morning to search a house near the crime scene, as investigators feared there could be additional victims inside," spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said in a statement Sunday night.

Earlier photos of the scene show investigators examining a white BMW with a tarp over the driver-side window around midday Sunday, with a white police tent set up nearby.

The incident occurred near West 8th Avenue and Discovery Street. Police say they will be at the scene for much of Sunday and 'in coming days.' (Shane MacKichan)

"This is a very serious incident and it will be a complex and prolonged investigation that will take some time," Addison said at a press conference Sunday afternoon.

Addison said investigators would be at the scene for much of Sunday and "in coming days," and are seeking the public's help with any tips or information.