Do you recognize this individual? Homicide investigators are hoping the public can possibly identify the men in these photos suspected of being connected to the killing of Gavinder Grewal, who was found dead in a North Van apartment Dec. 22. photo supplied IHIT
Homicide investigators are hoping that grainy photographs of two men and two vehicles believed to be connected with a North Vancouver gangland killing six months ago will lead to a break in the case.
The RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team released the photos from surveillance video Wednesday.
Cpl. Frank Jang, spokesman for the homicide team, said investigators believe both the vehicles and the two men seen in one of the vehicles are connected to the killing of 30-year-old Gavinder Grewal, who was found dead in an apartment in the 1500 block of Fern Street just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 22.
Grewal was known to police for his connection to gangs, said Jang.
Investigators believe Grewal’s murder was targeted and linked to other gang violence in the Lower Mainland.
Do you recognize this individual? Homicide investigators are hoping the public can possibly identify the men in these photos suspected of being connected to the killing of Gavinder Grewal, who was found dead in a North Van apartment Dec. 22. photo supplied IHIT
Jang said police believe the men in the photo are connected to Grewal’s killing. “They’re persons of interest,” said Jang. “We don’t know what their exact roles were . . . we believe they were involved.”
One of the men is described as a South Asian man about 20 to 25 years old, wearing a black jacket and a white shirt. The second man is described as a South Asian man 25 to 30 years old with a beard, who was wearing a toque and a dark jacket.
On the night Grewal was killed, both men were in a black Nissan Titan truck, which investigators have identified from the video. Police believe a second vehicle, a dark-coloured 2003-2008 Lexus Rx350, is also connected with Grewal’s death.
Jang said it’s important the public look at the photos to see if they might recognize either of the men or the vehicles. “Even if they have a slight inkling as to who they are,” said Jang, “we still want to talk to these people.”
Gavinder Grewal was found dead in a North Van apartment six months ago – photo supplied
Police are not releasing where the video surveillance came from.
Jang said a homicide team has spent the past six months going through surveillance footage and speaking to possible witnesses.
“There was a lot of attention on this murder when it happened, but the attention’s kind of waned,” he said.
Grewal was reportedly part of a turf war between different gang factions that had broken out at the time of his death and was the subject of a police warning, along with two other men, in 2015 because of fears gang violence could erupt in public.
Grewal had a criminal record, including a conviction for extortion in 2012 and for possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking in 2013.
