Indo-Canadian Dies in Targeted Shooting in Vancouver

Toronto: A 25-year-old Indo-Canadian man with alleged gang connections, Hitkaran Johal, has been identified as the victim of a targeted shooting on Friday night in Vancouver, leading to a traffic collision. The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) confirmed Johal's identity in a release issued on Saturday, stating that he died at the scene of the collision.

The incident occurred around 9 pm (local time) when police received reports of “two men shot in a vehicle, which then collided with two other vehicles.” One person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

As the police investigate this overnight homicide, they have stated that they believe the shooting was targeted, and there is no ongoing public safety risk. No arrests have been made yet, and the investigation is ongoing.

A vehicle was also set ablaze in the vicinity of the shooting shortly after it occurred, a tactic commonly associated with gangland hits. However, investigators are still working to determine if the fire was connected to the shooting.

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Kim Bolan, a veteran crime correspondent for the Vancouver Sun, posted on X that the gangster injured in the shooting was in court on Tuesday after fleeing from police last summer while on parole.

Hitkaran Johal appeared to have a history of gang involvement. In May 2018, the VPD and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia announced the arrest of seven individuals, including Johal, then 19, as part of Project Temper, an operation aimed at countering an increase in targeted violence in the Lower Mainland, a region encompassing Vancouver and its suburbs like Surrey. Johal was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit arson.

“Project Temper, a gang violence suppression operation, has resulted in the dismantling of the Gill Group. This violent crime group was comprised of several individuals, including its leader, Taqdir Gill,” said VPD Superintendent Mike Porteous at the time.

In July 2021, the VPD announced that Johal had been convicted. The announcement was part of a statement revealing 27 total convictions under the multi-jurisdictional Task Force Tourniquet, which included Project Temper. “The men convicted as a result of Task Force Tourniquet were significant players in the gang conflict between March 2017 and August 2018,” said VPD spokesperson Constable Tania Visintin in a statement.

The police are continuing their investigation into Johal's death and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

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