Man charged with conspiracy to commit murder in Burnaby homicide: IHIT

Police at the scene of a 'targeted' shooting in Burnaby on Sept. 16, 2023.

A Delta man has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder five months after a homicide in Burnaby, investigators announced Friday.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said in a news release 32-year-old Michael Johal was arrested without incident on Wednesday in connection to the death of Gagandeep Sandhu.

Sandhu was found dead after police received reports of a shooting in an underground parkade near Lougheed Mall on Sept 16. He was 29 years old.

Not long after the shooting, a vehicle fire was reported near Greenwood Street and Bainbridge Avenue. A black Honda Pilot was found at that scene, fully engulfed in flames.

Police said at the time they believed the shooting was targeted. The Abbotsford Police Department and the federal serious and organized crime unit worked with IHIT to identify Johal as a suspect.

"Intelligence sharing and strong partnerships, alongside the hard work of our investigators, is fundamental to IHIT’s success," said Sgt. Timothy Pierotti in Friday's news release.

"This remains an open homicide investigation and we still ask that anyone with information, who has yet to speak to the police, comes forward."

Anyone with additional information is asked to call investigators at 1-877-551-4448.