‘I’m hopeful that these criminals will be caught’: Surrey mayor reacts to string of violence in the city

Multiple shots fired incidents have rattled an already on-edge community, as police continue to respond to extortion attempts targeting South Asian businesses.

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says the community is fearful following a string of shootings Monday.

Police in Surrey, B.C., are still investigating whether shootings that damaged two locations of restaurant chain Ustaad G76 early Monday morning are related to the dozens of recent violent extortion attempts in the city.

That’s in addition to two other shooting incidents that took place in the city Monday, which police believe are not linked to extortion. A home with several people inside was hit with gunfire, and a man allegedly fired shots near the Gateway SkyTrain station and a police office. No one was hurt in any of the incidents.

“What happened in Surrey yesterday was absolutely devastating and I’m hopeful that these criminals will be caught,” said Locke.

Locke adds the nature of the extortion attempts are changing, with many small-scale business owners also being targeted.

“I don’t know the exact reason for that,” she said. “Except to say that it sounds like copycats that are out there to just take what they can get.”

With the shootings still under investigation, business owners remain on edge.

‘Gangsters roam freely in Surrey’

Gurpreet Singh Sahota, a radio host at Channel Punjabi in Surrey, says people living in the city do not feel safe.

“The gangsters roam freely in Surrey, so it’s possible that they can shoot at a police vehicle or a police station,” he said.

Sahota says people are scared to go to work, worried they might be next.

“People sometimes think that only the elite people are at risk or people who make good money, but once they are finished with them, they will come after the common person.”

Last month, the B.C. government and the RCMP launched a new task force to investigate the rash of extortion attempts that have targeted South Asian-owned homes and businesses in recent months.

It comes as police announced charges Monday against seven men in relation to various extortion investigations in Surrey.

“The special task force resulted in two of the seven recent arrests and that team is continuing their work”, explained Premier David Eby at a press conference Tuesday.

Canada-wide problem

It comes as the India-based Bishnoi gang, accused last year by the RCMP of orchestrating a campaign of violence and intimidation against Sikh activists in Canada, was listed as a terrorist entity by the federal government.

Mayor Brenda Locke says the threats are not exclusive to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and not solely happening in Surrey.

“I highly doubt somebody like Bishnoi is going to go through that trouble for those dollar amounts,” she said.

Eby added extortion threats are happening across the country.

“The same thing is happening in Alberta and Ontario, and my hope is that this gives extra tools to police.”

Authorities are asking anyone who has experienced extortion threats, big or small, to report the incidents.