The murder of 13-year-old Marrisa Shen was a “random attack,” investigators said Wednesday.
Shen was reported missing by her family at 11:30 p.m. on July 18 and police found the young girl’s body in Burnaby’s Central Park just hours later.
In a press conference Wednesday, Cpl. Meghan Foster with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said they believe Shen was the victim of a “random attack” and that “there have been no links made between this homicide and other reported acts of violence.”
Presser: IHIT confirm Marrisa Shen murder was random attack
She also said no suspect or suspects have been identified, although the investigation is still in its early stages.
A memorial to Shen was growing by the end of last week:
Classmates of Shen’s at Moscrop Secondary School were stunned by her death.
“I was actually somewhere else and my Mom called me and she said someone died at Central Park and I said, ‘Oh, that’s bad’… and I check online and it’s her and I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh’,” said Grade 8 student Devine Guerrero, who described Shen as very quiet.
Last week, police narrowed the timeline of Shen’s activities before she died. Police said the teen was home until dinnertime, and that at 5 p.m. she spoke to someone on the phone and was not in distress.
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It is unknown if she was alone at this time. At 6 p.m. Shen left her home near Central Park, and by 11:30 p.m. her family had reported her missing to police.
Tragically, her body was found at 1:10 a.m. on Wednesday.
WATCH: Police release surveillance video of Marrisa Shen