Sukhdeep Sandhu from Vancouver, who police say is known to them, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder, one count of aggravated assault and dangerous driving.
RICHMOND – A 26-year-old Indo-Canadian man has been charged with attempted murder following his arrest minutes after a brazen shooting at Richmond’s Riverside Banquet Hall Wednesday night.
Sukhdeep Sandhu from Vancouver, who police say is known to them, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder, one count of aggravated assault and dangerous driving.
Sgt. Peter Thiessen said the man was picked up “some distance” from the Riverside Banquet Hall on River Road, where witnesses reported hearing at least 10 shots fired shortly before 9 p.m.
“Just five minutes after the shooting Richmond RCMP officers had arrested a suspect without incident,” Thiessen said in a statement. “At this point police are still trying to determine if the shooting was gang-related.”
Four men were injured at the hall where around 150 people were gathered to celebrate being inducted into the Longshoremen’s union. Two were critically wounded, while the other two are now in stable condition.
Police say they are still trying to determine the connection between the victims and the suspect.
“We are still looking at the backgrounds of the individual we have in custody, and we are looking at the backgrounds we have of the four adult male victims to see what their affiliations may be, if in fact they are known to police,” said Thiessen.
The brazen gunfire sent crowds running for the exits. Others tried unsuccessfully to tackle the shooter, but he managed to escape.
Footage of the aftermath given to a number of news outlets, including the LINK shows one victim being treated on the ground as another is wheeled out on a gurney. Blood can be seen splattered on the carpet and covered chairs of the hall.
The victims, all men, were taken to Vancouver General Hospital and Royal Columbian Hospital. Two were seriously injured, with one reportedly being shot in the neck, while the others were treated for less-serious gunshot wounds.
CTV News reported that there was a party at the banquet hall to celebrate Longshoremen being accepted into the union.
Mounties believe the incident was targeted, but said it nevertheless posed a serious threat to bystanders.
“Police recognize these types of incidents are very concerning to the public. The potential for innocent people to be hurt is high,” Thiessen said.
Sandhu, who has no prior criminal record, will make his next court appearance on Thursday, Jan. 24 in Richmond Provincial Court.
The incident followed a spate of deadly shooting in nearby Surrey that killed four people in just two days.
The first victim, 27-year-old Manjot Dhillon, was gunned down Sunday night in what police believe was a targeted shooting. The next two, Edward McGiveron and Geordie Carlow, both 33, were shot to death in a parking lot hours later.
On Tuesday morning, 29-year-old Manjinder “Manny” Hairan was killed in what appears was a gang-related murder.
The Riverside Banquet Hall was the scene of another shooting in 2001, when five people were shot at a wedding reception at the venue. Kelly Singh Buttar, 22, was killed.
The Richmond RCMP detachment’s Serious Crime Section is leading the investigation into the Wednesday’s shooting, with help from the Lower Mainland District Regional Police Service and integrated police dog and forensic units.
Anyone with information is being asked to call 604-207-4726, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 if they wish to remain anonymous.
