Police are investigating a homicide in Richmond on Mother’s Day.
Richmond RCMP confirmed a body was found in a vehicle that crashed into a property near Granville Avenue and No. 2 Road on Sunday afternoon. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has been contacted and will take over the case.
Just before 2:45 p.m. a silver BMW veered off Granville Avenue and hit some shrubbery on the corner of Ledway Road, west of No. 2 Road.
Mounties say they were called to the area after receiving reports of shots fired.
“A crashed vehicle was discovered nearby with a lone deceased occupant,” said Cpl. Dennis Hwang. “This incident is being deemed a homicide.”
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not confirmed the victim’s cause of death, and have not provided any information on the victim’s identity or a description of any suspects.
On Sunday, the quiet neighbourhood swarmed with police cruisers and paramedics. A yellow tarp could be seen covering the car, which hit a hedge adjacent to a pedestrian crossing.
Police tape cordoned off a stretch of Granville Avenue as police gathered evidence from the scene.
Police are releasing few details about the incident. There are unconfirmed reports the car was shot several times, and that the victim died of gunshot wounds.
The daytime homicide was described as “brazen” by an RCMP officer at the scene.
“It’s very concerning to the police and community here in Richmond that we would have such a brazen incident that would result in a homicide here on a Sunday, a nice sunny afternoon on Mother’s Day,” Insp. Keith Bramhill told Global B.C.
The incident is eerily similar to Richmond’s first homicide of 2017.
On Jan. 10, 21-year-old Calvin Chi Hang Zhao of Vancouver was found dead with gunshot wounds in a black Jeep SUV near Granville Avenue and Ash Street, about three kilometres east of Sunday’s homicide.
Police said that shooting was targeted. A suspect vehicle, a white SUV, was seen leaving the scene. No arrests have been announced in Zhao’s death.
Anyone with information about Sunday’s incident is asked to contact the IHIT tipline at 1-877-551-4448 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
