Authorities have publicly identified the man gunned down this week in a Burnaby, B.C., parking lot, in an incident investigators suspect was gang-related. The victim of Wednesday’s shooting was 34-year-old Shahaib Abasi, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said Thursday. Abasi was shot in a busy business district during the dinner hour, near a McDonald’s drive-thru, in what IHIT has described as a targeted killing. “The gang landscape is complex and fluid,” said Cpl. Sukhi Dhesi, in a statement. “Those responsible for this homicide showed a complete disregard for public safety and as a result of gang violence, tragically, a man’s life was lost.” Authorities said they shared Abasi’s name and picture in an effort to further their investigation, as IHIT members work to piece together a timeline of events leading up to his killing. Burnaby RCMP officers said they received multiple reports of gunfire in the 4400 block of Still Creek Drive around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Officers arrived to find Abasi dead. In the aftermath of the shooting, authorities set up a white tent on the grass at the edge of the parking lot as dozens of homicide investigators searched the area for evidence. A black Mercedes SUV with its licence plate covered was also seen in the lot. Just 15 minutes after the shooting, officers were called to a vehicle fire in South Burnaby, near Nursery Street and Lakefield Drive. Investigators are now working to determine whether the burned vehicle is connected to the shooting itself. IHIT said the vehicle was a white Mitsubishi RVR, and asked anyone who may have spotted the vehicle leading up to the shooting, or immediately after, to come forward. Investigators are also looking for witnesses to the shooting, and anyone with dash-cam or surveillance video captured near the parking lot or the location of the burning vehicle between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday. Anyone with information is asked to contact the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or email ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
