'Wouldn't even hurt a fly': Memorial grows for B.C. teen shot dead by police

A growing memorial of flowers, stuffed animals, condolence cards and cans of Orange Crush for a 15-year-old boy who was killed in a police shooting in Surrey, B.C., is seen Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nono Shen

A memorial of flowers, stuffed animals, condolence cards and cans of Orange Crush is growing for a 15-year-old Surrey, B.C., boy who died in a police shooting on Sunday.

Friends, family members and strangers, many of them crying, have stopped at the memorial not far from the site where the Surrey high school student was killed.

A statement from the Surrey School District said the student is from Clayton Heights Secondary School and counsellors are on the site to support students, staff and the community.

One man who stopped by the memorial said his son was good friends with the boy and they had been in same classes for years.

The man, who only gave his first name Stephen to protect his son’s identity, said the boys’ friendship started in elementary school.

“All I can tell you he was a good kid. He wouldn’t even hurt a fly.”

He said the teen was autistic, so he may not have understood what police were saying to him.

Ajay Gupta, who stopped by the memorial to lay down flowers while wiping away tears, said one of his sons was the same age as the dead teen.

Gupta said he has no relationship or affiliation with the teen’s family, but he decided to visit the site after hearing of the tragic loss on the news.

“Honestly, I couldn’t sleep properly for the last two days,” he said. “It’s very unfortunate.”

B.C.’s police watchdog said it’s investigating the RCMP-involved shooting where police responded to reports of a person “armed with a firearm” in a schoolyard on Sunday afternoon.

The Independent Investigations Office said in a statement Monday that police told its investigators that there was a confrontation with the person shortly after officers arrived, shots were fired and the male died at the scene.

In an update on the case, the watchdog agency confirmed Tuesday that the deceased was a male youth, but added investigators have “a responsibility to avoid releasing any information that could prejudice an investigation.”

“We appreciate the community and public’s patience while we ensure our investigation is conducted thoroughly, fairly, and to the highest standard possible,” said agency Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2025.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press