TEENS SHOT DEAD
Two high school students gunned down in ‘shocking’ targeted attack on rural road
PATRICK JOHNSTON
The ashen faces of students walking out of Surrey’s Frank Hurt Secondary at the end of the school day Tuesday afternoon said it all: The violent deaths of Jaskarn (Jason) Singh Jhutty, 16, and Jaskaran (Jesse) Singh Bhangal, 17, rocked everyone who knew them.
The two boys were found the night before, shot to death on a rural Cloverdale road.
Neither was known to police but investigators say the killings were not random. The boys’ bodies were found in the 18800-block of 40th Avenue at about 10:30 p.m.
Reached by phone, a woman who identified herself as Jhutty’s mother said she was too distressed to speak.
“Not right now,” she said, when asked if she wanted to comment. “We are very upset.”
Bhangal, a Grade 11 student at an unidentified school, attended Newton’s Frank Hurt in Grades 8 and 9, while Jhutty, a Grade 10 student, started at Frank Hurt last September.
Frank Hurt student Raynal Prasad said he knew both of the dead teenagers. When he first heard classmates talking about what had happened, it didn’t seem real, Prasad said Tuesday. But then he saw their faces on social media.
“Very nice, very friendly,” a clearly upset Prasad said of Jhutty. “Very hard-working student.”
Roy Dewar, the father of a friend of Prasad’s, moved to comfort the teen and another friend.
“Kids shouldn’t be killing kids,” Dewar said, his hand on Prasad’s shoulder. “Kids shouldn’t be dying.”
Dewar said that when learned what had happened, “my heart just broke.”
He said his own son was “hanging in there ... I don’t know how you tell your son his friend is no longer (here).”
He lamented the fact that because many parents are having to work so hard to support their families they are forced to miss out on home life, often leaving their kids at home with little guidance.
“This generation has no respect,” he said. “There’s nobody at home to look after the kids.”
Dewar called on the government to do more to combat gangs and to help families.
“We need a lot of education over what it means to be in a gang. It’s not all it’s cut up to be,” he said. “Fast money leads to fast death.”
Surrey School District spokesman Doug Strachan said the board was informed of the murders by members of their Safe Schools anti-gang program.
Grief and shock have descended on the entire district, he said.
“It’s just a shocking thing to hear about. It’s one that you can’t help but be affected by,” Strachan said.
“We have put out an offer of support for students and staff affected by this tragedy.”
Mayor Linda Hepner was unavailable for interviews but offered the following statement: “It is especially heartbreaking when lives not yet begun have been violently ended. I cannot imagine the pain of the families and my heartfelt condolences go out to them. The police will now do the work of getting justice for two young lives needlessly lost way too soon.”
Surrey Coun. Tom Gill, who’s seeking to become Surrey’s mayor this year, said he didn’t want to speculate on what happened and was hesitant to say much publicly without having more details.
However, Gill said, “just looking at the age of the victims, it’s quite concerning … My daughter just turned 16. These are very, very young individuals.
“The violent nature of this particular incident is pretty extreme. To be executed in the fashion that they were is just unbelievable. In this day and age that these kinds of incidents would occur, particularly as it relates to two young men, is deeply concerning and upsetting.”
An “appalled” B.C. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said his thoughts are with the boys’ families and loved ones.
“While we don’t know the circumstances of this tragedy and won’t assume motive, I understand the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is investigating and we’ll await their results.”
Farnworth said the NDP government is working with law enforcement and the city to ensure they have the tools they need to address illegal guns and gangs in B.C.
“We are also actively working on the recommendations in the Illegal Firearms Task Force Report. Our government has steadily increased support for the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, and this past fall we committed permanent funding to the Surrey Wrap program to help prevent the involvement of at-risk youth in gang life.”
On Tuesday, 40th Avenue remained closed between 192nd Street and 184th Street while police combed the scene for evidence.
A woman who identified herself as “Princess P” and lives in a house on 40th near where the boys’ bodies were found said her street had become a scary place.
“I’m not surprised it happened (here) with everything that’s happened nearby,” she said. “But it’s still not something you expect to see outside your house.”
Homicide investigators said two vehicle fires were also reported in Surrey the same evening and were being investigated in connection with the slayings.
At about 9:45 p.m. Monday, Surrey RCMP were notified of a car fire at 184 Street and 29A Avenue. At 11 p.m., police were called about a second car fire, this time a Honda Accord at 177 Street and 93 Avenue.
In recent months, there has been a rash of shootings followed by car fires throughout the Lower Mainland.
After those incidents, police said the car fires were being investigated for their possible link to the shootings and could be an attempt to destroy evidence.
Police are now asking anyone with information about either of the vehicle fires or the deaths to contact investigators at 1-877-551-4448.
Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-2228477.