Man sentenced for shooting innocent man mistaken as rival Surrey gangster

Another man has been charged and sentenced in a Surrey shooting of a man mistakenly identified as a rival gangster.

On Friday, Saeed Rana was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The case of mistaken identity began on April 4, 2016, when a 19-year-old man was rushed to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries after he was shot in his car in the area of 86 A Avenue and 140 Street.

The black BMW he was driving was riddled with bullets. But the victim had nothing to do with gangs or the drug trade.

“As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that the victim was mistakenly identified by rival drug trafficking groups,” Surrey RCMP officer in charge, Dwayne McDonald said in a statement at the time.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that the victim was mistakenly identified by rival drug trafficking groups," Surrey RCMP officer in charge, Dwayne McDonald said in a statement at the time.

“This further compounds the senseless nature of this type of violence.”

The shooting was the third in Surrey in as many days and the 31st shooting in 2016, leaving area residents fearing the problem would only continue to get worse.

“I’m kind of embarrassed to be living in Surrey right now,” Doug Elford of the Newton Community Association told Global News in a April 2016 interview. “We’re back to being the running joke.”

READ MORE: Surrey residents on edge after third shooting in 3 days 

Three people were arrested and charged following an investigation Surrey RCMP describe as intense and far ranging.

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Last November, John Cullen was handed a 10-year sentence for attempted murder in connection with the incident. The third accused can’t be named because of a publication ban.

“This investigation is a reminder of the skill, complexity and time required to build a case and obtain the proper evidence needed for a successful prosecution,” McDonald said.

In the statement, McDonald thanked the victim’s family, Surrey residents, and all who were involved in the investigation.

McDonald is using this case to emphasize the importance of education and early intervention to prevent similar incidents from happening.

“As history has shown us, the end result for individuals involved in the drug trade is almost always the same – an untimely death or prison,” McDonald said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "As history has shown us, the end result for individuals involved in the drug trade is almost always the same - an untimely death or prison," McDonald said.

READ MORE: Surrey residents shaken by 29th shooting incident of 2016 

– With files from Catherine Urquhart and Aaron McArthur