Pritpal Singh Virk, a 19-year-old Indo-Canadian living in Richmond, British Columbia was gunned down outside an east Vancouver home on Saturday, in what police say was a targeted hit, the Vancouver Sun reported.
Vancouver police constable Tim Fanning didn't have details about the man's history but conceded the man was known to the police. He also believes it was not a random shooting.
There have been three other shootings in the area in 2008 and Fanning was quoted as saying that the police would be looking into whether this latest shooting was related to other recent shootings.
Virk was at a get-together at a friend's house on Saturday after which he was found lying in the street. He later succumbed to the gunshot wounds in hospital.
The daily also reported that an 18-year-old Pritpal Virk was in May 2007 rescued from the Nechako River by the Vanderhoof Royal Canadian Mounted Police. According to the report, he was treated for hypothermia and later charged with drug offences and obstruction of justice.
The report said Virk was a passenger in an SUV that plunged into the river after speeding away when police signaled for it to stop.
The police said they had found 170 marijuana plants in the vehicle when it was recovered. Charges were laid against Virk and a 22-year-old man, Aaron Takhar, who was driving another vehicle.
The police have reportedly refused to confirm whether the teenager who died of gunshot wounds on Saturday was the same person who was rescued from Nachako River in 2007.
