‘HE WAS A GOOD KID’
Family of 21-year-old man gunned down in 2011 relieved at murder charge
The arrest of a suspect nearly six years after the murder of a 21-yearold Vancouver man won’t bring the victim back to life, but the news is bringing closure to his family.
On July 25, 2011, Harpreet (Hapi) Sandhu, 21, was gunned down following an argument with a group of youths in the area of Arlington Street and Whitehorn Court in the south Vancouver neighbourhood of Champlain Heights. He died in hospital.
A 25-year-old Vancouver man, Heval Hishyar Tilli, was apprehended Tuesday and has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the 2011 shooting death.
According to the victim’s uncle, Lak Chahal, “finally some justice will be served.”
“We’ve been waiting for this news for six years,” Chahal said. “He was a good kid. (He had) nothing to do with gangs or drugs.
“For us it’s been devastating. Not a day has gone by where we’ve not thought of Hapi.”
Chahal said his nephew was much-loved by his mother, Chahal’s sister Narinder Sandhu, and that she was very proud of her son.
“Just before he passed away, she was saying she was happy she didn’t have to worry at night about her kids going out.”
And he also said his family was thankful they lived in a place like B.C., where “someone will be held accountable.”
Chahal grew up in England, but moved to Canada 20 years ago. He started a software company and now employs 65 people.
“We’re very fortunate. I’m very proud to be in B.C. and in Canada,” he said. “Our family is hard-working, very law-abiding.
“We want to say a big thank you to Vancouver police, to the two detectives who have been updating us on a regular basis,” he said. “They’ve been building a lot of trust where we can get through this.”
The police said they were still looking to speak with witnesses to the crime.
“We are aware that there are other witnesses to this murder that have been afraid to come forward or to co-operate with the police investigation,” said Vancouver police Const. Jason Doucette.
“Now that charges have been laid, we are again appealing to those people to have the courage to speak up and clear their conscience.”
Of the incident outside of a friend’s house, which ended with a single shot hitting Sandhu and severing his aorta, Chahal said his nephew’s “only mistake was he thought there would be a minor argument.”
“A bunch of wannabe gangster types,” he said of the shooter and his associates.
“These people, they have no regard for life.”
That it had taken six years to lay charges was frustrating, but “we’re glad it will finally bring closure.”
“It was very devastating,” he said of the impact Sandhu’s death made on his close-knit family. He also expressed frustration it had taken so long for the Crown to lay charges.
“They want to win every case — and I can understand that — but it takes too long. I think it destroys B.C.’s justice system’s accountability. It becomes a joke. People think they can get away with it. “It tarnishes B.C.’s reputation.” Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to call VPD detectives at 604-717-2500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.