Shots were fired at the headquarters of a radio station that serves Metro Vancouver’s South Asian community late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Images from the scene show bullet holes in the front door of Radio Swift 1200 AM on 76 Avenue in Surrey. The Surrey Police Service said in a statement that it was informed of the overnight incident around 11 a.m. Tuesday. Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told reporters at an impromptu news conference Tuesday afternoon that police are unsure exactly what time the shooting occurred. Responding front-line officers confirmed that the damage to the door had been caused by gunshots, police said, adding that there were no reports of any injuries. “Everyone is safe,” said Jinny Sims, a former MLA who hosts a show on the station. “Nobody was at work at the radio station when the gunshots were fired.” Police said the Provincial Extortion Task Force will be taking over the investigation, adding that officers were at the scene “examining the area for physical and digital evidence” Tuesday afternoon. Houghton noted that Tuesday was not the first time police had visited the station. “I’m not sure about the when, but Surrey police and other police agencies have spoken with the owner of the business in the past, and that’s what leads us to believe that this is extortion-related,” he said. The latest shooting shares similarities with dozens of others that have left bullet holes in businesses in Surrey and elsewhere in the Lower Mainland this year. As of Sept. 22, the SPS had launched a total of 48 extortion-related investigations in 2025, 29 of them involving shots fired, according to Houghton. Some of the shootings have been depicted on social media by the apparent perpetrators. In July, a video filmed inside the vehicle of a shooter showed them opening fire with a handgun on Kap’s Cafe, a Surrey restaurant linked to Indian comic and television host Kapil Sharma. The business was shot up again the next month. Such crimes have gripped communities across Canada, prompting the creation of multiple police task forces in B.C. and elsewhere. In Surrey, the city has created a $250,000 reward fund for information leading to convictions for extortions in the city. Most recently, the federal government declared the India-based Bishnoi gang – which has been accused of carrying out some of the extortion attempts – a terrorist entity. The designation will allow law enforcement to seize property and freeze accounts. “This is the top priority for police agencies around the entire region,” Houghton said Tuesday. “These incidents are entirely unacceptable.” According to its website, Radio Swift 1200 AM offers news, talk, music and community programming in a variety of South Asian languages, including Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. The station says it “plays a vital role in supporting new immigrants, youth and multigenerational families by providing culturally relevant information, public service content, and a platform for civic engagement.” Sims said it’s “very dangerous” and “very concerning” that a community media outlet was attacked. “Everyone has a right to go to work and be safe,” she said. “That’s what we want for everyone who works at Swift Radio.” Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the SPS non-emergency line at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 25-85681 (SP). Investigators are specifically interested in speaking to anyone who may have been in the 13000 block of 76 Avenue between 8 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday and witnessed the shooting or any other suspicious activity. Tips can also be provided by calling the Surrey Extortion Tip Line at 236-485-5149 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers. With files from The Canadian Press
