Realtor shot in Vancouver's sixth homicide of 2018
Vancouver police say this week's shooting of a man in Kerrisdale was targeted and his death brings the total number of homicides to six so far in 2018.
CBC has learned that the victim is a 32-year-old man named Kaminder Rai, a realtor who posted on social media that he was from Surrey, B.C.
Rai was found injured and died later in hospital.
While Vancouver's overall crime rate has dropped, the city's homicide rate has climbed steadily since 2012.
News of the city's sixth homicide comes one day after police noted an overall reduction in the city's crime rate.
The tally of six homicides so far in 2018 is the total number for the entire year of 2013.
Several of this year's deaths involved guns and targeted crimes.
Last year's homicide tally hit a 10-year high with a total of 19.
"It's a matter of concern but I don't think it's a matter of panic," said Paul Brantingham, a Simon Fraser University professor of crime analysis.
He says B.C.'s homicide rate pales in comparison to those of American cities.
Vancouver police agree any killing is a concern, and say they are keeping a watch on this trend.
"These types of crimes tend to fluctuate during the year, but we agree it's concerning for police any time we have a homicide in Vancouver, targeted or not. The VPD is continuing to work with our partners ... to solve homicides that have already been committed and to prevent future violent offences," Vancouver Police Const. Jason Doucette wrote to CBC in an email to today.
Reports of other types of crimes — especially business break-ins and robberies — have fallen for the first time in five years.
Overall crime rates have dipped 1.5 per cent, according to VPD department data released Thursday.
Homicides in 2018
- Jwada Hedar-Kadhim, 47 was found in a condo lobby in Burnaby on Jan. 2. He was known to police and the crime was not considered random.
- Alfred Wong, 15, a Coquitlam honour student and innocent bystander was killed in a gunfire exchange on Jan. 14 while driving with his parents near West Broadway and Ontario Street in Vancouver.
- Kevin Whiteside, 23, also shot and killed Jan 14. in what police believe was a targeted hit,
- Sachdeep Singh Dhoot, 18, of Surrey B.C. was found dead in the trunk of a stolen vehicle near Fairmont Street and Vanness Ave on Jan. 18.
- Martin James MacDonald, 51, of Coquitlam was found in medical distress on East Hastings and died after a few days in hospital on Feb. 10.
- Kaminder Rai, a 32-year-old Surrey man, was found critically injured in Kerrisdale on Thursday and died in hospital. Police suspect it was a targeted hit.
