METRO VANCOUVER — Homicide investigators continued to pore over a south Surrey crime scene Monday where a young entrepreneur was gunned down in his driveway the day before.
Cpl. Dale Carr said while police are confident the murder of Chhminder Singh (Shinda) Gill was a targeted hit, they are still searching for a motive in the execution of the 32-year-old farmer and businessman.
The Vancouver Sun has learned Gill had some criminal ties, but he also ran several legitimate businesses over the years.
He was the owner of Sumas Valley Berry Farms, in Abbotsford, where he and several partners grew blueberries.
He is also the president and sole director of Lakha Enterprises, which he incorporated in July 2007. The name comes from his ancestral village of Lakha in Punjab.
Gill is also believed to have a link to Richmond’s Daewoo Motors which police are investigating. The General Manager of the dealership is David Nair, who was once convicted in the U.S. in an international drug smuggling plot.
Back in 2004, Gill also owned a company called Black Tie Limousine Service, but left the company two years later, according to Corporate Registry documents.
Carr said investigators are looking at all Gill’s business links to see if they could be connected to the murder.
“We are still trying to hammer through everything we have learned. We are still trying to source out who he knows. I think he is a bit of a low-flyer,” Carr said.
“We still have a lot of work ahead of us to figure out who he is linked to an what he is up to. But definitely he was the intended target of this from what we have learned so far.”
Carr said a dark-coloured vehicle was seen racing from the house at 3779 156th Street just after shots rung out about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
Gill and his wife Jasvir bought the palatial Morgan Creek home last August for $620,000, according to property records.
The Gills lived in the seven-bedroom home, assessed this year for $754,000. with their small children. Gill had been talking to someone on the phone standing outside when his assassin opened fire.
Shocked neighbours said they heard several shots.
Before moving to south Surrey, the Gills lived for years in Coquitlam in a house on Regan Street assessed at more than $1 million.
The 32-year-old loved his exotic cars. At the time of his slaying, he was driving a 2000 Ferrari 360 Spider leased from Richmond’s TransportAction. Even used, the car sells for more than $60,000.
Concert promoter Ravi Sharma knew Gill as a long-time customer who would always buy tickets to the shows he was promoting.
Sharma said Gill bought several for the April 10 concert he held in Vancouver to mark Vaisakhi celebrations.
“We heard the news today about what happened,” Sharma said from Calgary where he is hosting an event. “It is shocking. I have no idea if he had enemies. I just knew him as a good customer who always paid his bills.”
Gill had a minor criminal record dating back to 2001 in Maple Ridge for “providing false or misleading information.” After he was convicted, he was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and $2,661.88 restitution.
Gill’s slaying was just the 14th in Metro Vancouver this year, down considerably from the 39 murders at the same point in 2009.
kbolan@vancouversun.com
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