Murder charge laid in ‘brazen’ 2024 gang shooting: B.C. homicide team

A man has been charged with first-degree murder in a Coquitlam shooting last year that authorities are calling brazen and gang related.

A man has been charged with murder in what authorities describe as a “brazen,” gang-related shooting in Coquitlam last year.

On Jan. 6, 2024, around 4 p.m., police were called to the scene near the intersection of Glen Drive and Westwood Street, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said in a statement Monday.

“Frontline officers attended the scene and located one man suffering from life-threatening injuries. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries,” according to IHIT.

“This was a brazen shooting near a busy intersection in Coquitlam at a time when there had been an uptick in shootings in the city. The initial investigation led police to believe this was a targeted shooting with a nexus to organized crime.”

Tyrel O’Hearn, 24, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, the statement from IHIT said. The 21-year-old male victim was not identified.

The Integrated Gang Homicide Team, which was established as a sub-division of IHIT months after the 2024 shooting, is being credited for its role in advancing the investigation.

“We have seen the benefit of our investigators’ expertise and involvement over the last 10 months, and this file is just one example of that,” IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Freda Fong said.

“We are proud of this team’s focus and their continued efforts in making our communities safer from gang violence.”

O’Hearn remains in custody.