British ColumbiaHomicide investigators are probing two separate killings in Metro Vancouver that police say are connected to the ongoing gang conflict in British Columbia.Separate shootings in Burnaby and Langley left 2 men dead, both believed to be tied to B.C. gang conflictShaurya Kshatri · CBC News · Posted: Sep 12, 2025 10:41 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoLangley police investigate a shooting around 200 St. and 53 Ave. that left one person dead on Sept. 5. (Nav Rahi/CBC)Homicide investigators are probing two separate killings in Metro Vancouver that police say are connected to the ongoing gang conflict in British Columbia.The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has now identified 24-year-old Taran Pandher, a Lower Mainland resident, as the victim of a fatal shooting inside a taxi in Langley last Friday night.Less than a week later on Wednesday evening, Shahaib Abasi, 34, was fatally shot in Burnaby. Both men were known to police and investigators say the killings were targeted. Langley RCMP say officers were called just after 10:20 p.m. on Sept. 5 to reports of a shooting near 200 St. and 53 Ave. They found Pandher suffering from gunshot wounds inside a taxi. Despite lifesaving efforts, he died at the scene.IHIT says Pandher was connected to organized crime and that the shooting has many of the hallmarks of a gang-related homicide. About half an hour later, police also received reports of a vehicle fire in the 13250 block of 64A Avenue in Surrey, which investigators believe is linked to the homicide.”This shooting has many of the specific indications of a gang-related homicide,” IHIT spokesperson Cpl. Sukhi Dhesi said in a news release Thursday.Homicide investigators have identified 24-year-old Taran Pandher, a Lower Mainland resident known to police, as the victim the Sept. 5 shooting in Langley. (Submitted by IHIT)He says due to the complex nature of the gang conflict, IHIT’s Integrated Gang Homicide Team has taken conduct of the investigation.The fatal shooting in Burnaby has similarities with the Langley attack and is also believed to be connected to the ongoing gang conflict in B.C.Burnaby RCMP say they responded to multiple reports of shots fired near Still Creek Avenue and Still Creek Drive, in North Burnaby, around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, where they found 34-year-old Abasi dead at the scene.About 15 minutes later, officers were called to a vehicle fire near Nursery Street and Lakefield Drive, roughly a 10-minute drive away in South Burnaby.Police say the victim of the Burnaby shooting, 34-year-old Shahaib Abasi, was known to them. (Submitted by IHIT)IHIT investigators say they are looking at whether the shooting and fire were connected.”The gang landscape is complex and fluid,” Dhesi said in a statement. “Those responsible for this homicide showed a complete disregard for public safety and as a result of gang violence, tragically, a man’s life was lost.”Police say the burnt vehicle was a white Mitsubishi RVR, and they are appealing to anyone who saw it before or after the shooting to come forward.Investigators say they are continuing their call for witnesses and others with information to come forward.
IHIT investigating 2 gang-linked homicides in Metro Vancouver within days
