Hindu temple leader says shots fired at son's home in Surrey, B.C.

CBC
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Satish Kumar, president of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir temple, says his family is shaken and does not know why shots would be fired at his son's Surrey home early on the morning of Dec. 27. (CBC News - image credit)
Satish Kumar, president of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir temple, says his family is shaken and does not know why shots would be fired at his son's Surrey home early on the morning of Dec. 27. (CBC News - image credit)

The leader of a Metro Vancouver Hindu temple says his son's Surrey, B.C., home was the target of a Wednesday morning shooting.

Satish Kumar, president of Surrey's Lakshmi Narayan Mandir temple, says his son was awakened by a disturbance outside his Newton-area home around 2 a.m. on Dec. 27, but couldn't see anything amiss when he looked out the front door.

It wasn't until after Kumar's son woke up around 8 a.m. that he saw the apparent bullet holes in his garage door and on the gate to his property — about 11 in total, Kumar told CBC News.

"We have no idea what the reason is," Kumar said on Sunday. "It's very scary, very disturbing."

Four glass panels on the home's garage door were shattered and boarded up with wood on Sunday, with at least two apparent bullet holes in the metal frame of the panels visible to a CBC reporter at the scene.

Kumar says many of those in South Asian communities, particularly Sikhs, are worried for their safety after the shooting death of Surrey gurdwara president Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.
Kumar says many of those in South Asian communities, particularly Sikhs, are worried for their safety after the shooting death of Surrey gurdwara president Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.

Satish Kumar says he has no idea why anyone would have shot at his son's home, and does not believe it is related to the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict or tensions between Sikh separatists and Hindus. (Joel Ballard/CBC)

Surrey RCMP said Thursday that no one was injured in the shooting on 80 Avenue, and they are still trying to determine the motive behind it.

Kumar says neither he nor his son have received threats. He also says neither he nor his son have any relation to the Lower Mainland gang conflict, or involvement in any political or religious disputes.

Surrey and Abbotsford are seeing rising levels of gun violence and South Asian communities, particularly Sikhs, are worried for their safety after the shooting death of Surrey gurdwara president Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, Kumar said.

"All the communities are very scared about what's going on," he said, noting he and local South Asian leaders are planning a community safety meeting for next weekend.

"This is not only gunshots at my son, this could happen to anybody in the future."

Kumar says his family is disturbed and concerned for their safety amid rising gun violence in Surrey, including at his son's home where an apparent bullet hole on his gate is pictured on Dec. 31, 2023.
Kumar says his family is disturbed and concerned for their safety amid rising gun violence in Surrey, including at his son's home where an apparent bullet hole on his gate is pictured on Dec. 31, 2023.

Kumar says his family is disturbed and concerned for their safety amid rising gun violence in Surrey, including at his son's home where an apparent bullet hole on his gate is pictured on Dec. 31, 2023. (CBC News)

When asked by CBC News on Sunday whether the shooting was believed to be targeted, Surrey RCMP Sgt. Chris De Hart said he did not have that information available and hoped to have an update in the coming days.

2 other shootings in city

Two other shooting occurred in the city on Friday, just two days after the incident at Kumar's son's home.

In the first shooting, officers arrested two men after they received reports of gunshots near 101 Avenue and 156 Street in the Guildford area around 2 p.m. PT, according to a Friday afternoon statement from Surrey RCMP.

Around seven hours after the Guildford shooting, RCMP responded to reports of gunfire on the 7800-block of 167 Street in Fleetwood, shortly before 9:30 p.m. PT on Friday, according to a statement later that evening.

Mounties said no one was injured in either shooting, and told CBC News on Saturday they don't have evidence the two Friday incidents are related to each other.

RCMP said Monday that charges had been laid against two men in the Guildford shooting.

Roman Arinder Gill, 24, is facing five charges including unlawful discharge of a firearm and assaulting a police officer with a weapon, while 28-year-old Shaun Narinder Gill is charged with flight from police, driving while prohibited and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, according to B.C. court records.

Both men are set to appear in Surrey Provincial Court on Jan. 3.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the areas around any of the three shootings is asked to contact RCMP at 604-599-0502.