Church community mourns slain teen

Friends and the church community of Alfred Wong and his family came together Sunday to find comfort in their faith amid sorrow and grief.

On the second Sunday service after Wong, 15, was hit by a stray bullet as his family was driving home to Coquitlam, visiting pastor Rev. Joseph Chan expressed his heartache and condolences to Wong’s family, friends and the congregation during an Englishlanguage service at the Coquitlam Christ Church of China.

“There are no words that can adequately express what has been taken from you,” he told the audience of mostly teens and young adults who listened quietly, some bowing their heads. Wong’s death was tragic and random, said Chan, leaving many trying to make sense of what had happened or struggling with the realization it could have easily been them on that busy Vancouver street.

Pastors at the church declined to comment to honour the family’s wishes for privacy. A concurrent Chinese-language service was also held at the church. Funeral plans are underway. Details are expected to be announced early this week.

On Sunday, Vancouver Police said the mobile command centre it set up near the scene of the shooting on Broadway and Ontario Street on Saturday has yielded new contacts.

Wong, a passenger in a passing vehicle, was struck. He died two days later after he was taken off life support. Two other people were hit, including 23-year-old Kevin Whiteside, a low-level drug dealer. He later died in hospital. A third person, a Vancouver man in his 30s, was also injured. He was not believed to be a target.