Police say daylight shooting of Maple Ridge Realtor does not appear to be random

Ridge Meadows RCMP say the brazen daylight shooting of Maple Ridge Realtor and former city councillor Franz Prokop does not appear to be a random attack.

On Sunday the area was still secured as investigators continued to gather evidence.

Prokop was shot on a gravel road leading to one of his listings, on the market for 1.8 million dollars. At around 12:40 p.m. he called police saying he had been shot, and was airlifted to hospital.

Ridge Meadows RCMP Serious Crime Unit are aggressively investigating this very serious matter, and are still on scene with the Integrated Forensic Identification Section. At this time this does not appear to be a random act.,” said Cpl. Alanna Dunlop with the Ridge Meadows RCMP.

Prokop underwent surgery on Saturday and survived. He is a one time Maple Ridge councillor, former chamber of Commerce member, and now a Realtor who has his hands in all kinds of development proposals including one across the street from where he was shot. Records show he is not only the listing agent for the property where he was shot, and he had also applied in 2011 to subdivide the property into 11 lots.

The two year deadline to move forward came and went in June.

“I don’t think it went anywhere beyond first reading,” said Maple Ridge mayor Ernie Daykin. “I’m not aware, it hasn’t come to a public hearing or anything like that. Applicants have up to two years to work things through the process so nothing that I can recall has come to us recently.”

Prokop also founded the Gourmet Hideaway Restaurant, which was later renamed Don Cherry’s, and burned down in a suspicious fire two years ago. Prokop was no longer the owner when it burned down.

According to court records, Prokop was involved with seven civil suits – but he filed most of them.

Prokop’s BMW was towed from the crime scene Saturday.

Macdonald Realty is not saying much, but did provide a statement to Global News: “Macdonald Realty at this time is making no comments about Mr. Prokop. A police investigation is underway and we do not want to compromise that investigation.”

Police are saying little more, other than, they don’t believe the shooting is random.