Man charged with murder after fatal shooting outside Vancouver restaurant

A man has been charged after a fatal shooting outside a restaurant in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour last weekend.

Francois Joseph Gauthier, 51, is charged with murder and firearms charges, according to court records.

Records show no prior charges against Gauthier in B.C.

Harpreet Singh Dhaliwal, 31, of Abbotsford was gunned down outside of Cardero’s Restaurant on the city’s busy seawall just before 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 17.

1:46 Brazen daylight shooting at crowded Coquitlam park claims life of 20 year-old man

Global News cameras captured images of a gun equipped with a silencer at the scene.

Not long afterward, another man was stabbed a few blocks away, and a vehicle linked to a known gang associate crashed and three people fled on foot.

Police said the shooting had “all the hallmarks” of a targeted killing.

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It was the first of a trio of slayings in busy public areas this week believed to be associated with the ongoing Metro Vancouver gang conflict.

1:59 B.C. police identify 46-year-old man killed at Langley Sportsplex

On Monday evening, 20-year-old Bailey McKinney was shot dead near a skatepark at Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park as the area was packed with families.

And on Thursday, 46-year-old Todd Gouwenberg, a known gang associate, was gunned down around 9 a.m. in front of the popular Langley Sportsplex.

Police believe both of the killings were targeted. There have been at least 15 gang-related killings in the region in 2021, according to police.