Indian-origin man shot dead in Canada’s Burnaby, gang war suspected

An Indian origin man has been shot dead in Canada’s Burnaby, with police suspecting the murder to be the fallout of a gang war. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have identified the deceased Dilraj Singh Gill (28).

Elaborating further, the police stated that the incident took place on January 22, adding that investigators think that it is a case of “targeted shooting.”

“On January 22, 2026, just before 5:30 p.m., Burnaby RCMP frontline officers responded to reports of shots fired near the 3700 block of Canada Way. When police arrived on the scene, they located a male victim. Despite life-saving efforts, the man did not survive,” stated the police.

“Shortly after, officers located a vehicle on fire in the 5000 block of Buxton Street. Investigators worked to determine whether there may be any links to the shooting,” it added.

Further investigation revealed that the burning vehicle in the 5000 block of Buxton Street is “connected to the homicide” and police are in the process of gathering more information.

Homicide investigators on the case

“Homicide investigators are working closely with the Burnaby RCMP, the Lower Mainland District Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS) and the BC Coroners Service to collect evidence and advance the investigation,” says Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT as quoted in the statement.

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“A shooting, especially in a public place is extremely troubling, not only for the police but for the entire community. Information from witnesses and those in the area will be crucial in ensuring this investigation advances and to hold those responsible, accountable,” he added.

“IHIT investigators are looking for witnesses or anyone with dashcam video or CCTV footage captured between 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on January 22, 2026. “Additionally, IHIT is looking for dashcam video from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM in the area of Canada Way and Laurel Street, between Boundary Road and Gilmore Way, Burnaby,” stated the release.

Link with another murder

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Sun, citing sources, reported that Gill’s killing may be connected to the murder of 28-year-old Navpreet Dhaliwal, who was shot dead on January 9 in Abbotsford.

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According to the report, Dhaliwal was associated with the Brothers Keepers gang, which is known to be a rival of the UN gang, to which Gill was allegedly linked.

The outlet further stated that Gill had a criminal history, having been convicted on drug-related charges in 2021. Records also show that he was convicted in connection with multiple offences in 2016.

Dhaliwal also had prior run-ins with the law and was known to the police. He had been arrested on several charges in the past and was out on bail at the time of his death.