Homicide investigators are appealing for help to solve the year-old murder of a 19-year-old Abbotsford man.
Jagvir Malhi, a former star basketball player and second-year criminology student at the University of Fraser Valley, was gunned down at the intersection of Simpson and Ross roads around 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2018.
Police believe he was killed in a case of mistaken identity, in a targeted shooting intended for someone else.
“His friends describe him as a mature role model and the furthest thing from a gangster,” said Sgt. Frank Jang with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) on Friday.
Jang said police had made progress in the investigation, but still needed people to come forward and break their silence to crack the case.
“You didn’t pull the trigger, but you know who did,” said Jang.
“We are asking you today to do the right and honourable thing.”
Homicide investigators had determined that Malhi himself was not involved in any kind of criminality, but that some people he knew were involved in the Lower Mainland gang conflict, Jang said.
Since the shooting, Jang said police had conclusively linked a dark blue Acura TL, which was found in flames near 128A Street and 109 Avenue in Surrey on the day of the shooting, to the crime.
Because firefighters were quick to the scene, investigators had been able to collect a wealth of forensic evidence from it, Jang said.
Police have also identified a second vehicle of interest — a white Mazda 3 — captured on camera driving with the Acura, and are looking to speak with anyone who recognizes it.