Police say they believe a suspicious vehicle fire in Port Moody, B.C., is connected to a shooting that occurred minutes before in nearby Coquitlam.
A statement from Port Moody police says officers responded to a report of a silver sedan that was found burning on Saturday after being abandoned.
Mounties in Coquitlam say they’re now investigating any connection between the burned vehicle and the shooting, which may have been targeted.
They say the victim, who was not known to police, was taken hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
They say his nine-year-old son, who was in the back seat, was not injured.
The RCMP say in a statement that there is not enough evidence to establish or rule out a link between the shooting and gang conflict in the Lower Mainland, “but police do not believe this was a completely random act.”
They say a silver sedan with a description matching the burned vehicle was seen leaving the area and police are asking anyone who was in the Westwood Plateau or Maude Court areas between 4:20 and 5:30 p.m. on Saturday to come forward with any information that could be helpful.
—The Canadian Press