Accused bragged about restaurant shooting: friend

Reluctantly, a close friend of accused killer Richard Reed testified Monday that a few days after the fatal 2020 Manzo restaurant murder, Reed “was just bragging about the shooting.”

Mohammad Elburai told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jeanne Watchuk that he didn't believe Reed when he confessed to a role in the Sept. 18, 2020 Richmond slaying that left money-launderer Jian Jun Zhu dead and his associate, Paul Jin, wounded.

“He was just saying he shot somebody, but I did not believe him,” said Elburai, a 27-year-old auto mechanic. “He was just bragging about it basically.”

He said Reed often tried to act like a gangster “just to sound cool to people.”

Reed was “calm and collected” when he talked about the murder, the witness testified, adding that Reed claimed to have been paid “maybe six, maybe eight, maybe 10 grand.”

He confirmed to prosecutor Rusty Antonuk that Reed showed him a photograph of Paul Jin with his cheek bleeding and told his friend of more than a decade that Jin was the intended target of the hit.

“He shot the wrong person. He did tell me that,” Elburai said.

Reed claimed he got the photo from a South Asian man named “Jas” who was inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting.

Almost every time Elburai answered a question, he included: “I am not too sure” or “I did not believe it.”

Elburai began his testimony in person Monday morning in Courtroom 65 at the Vancouver Law Courts. But after he repeatedly complained that he didn't want to testify and put his head between his knees, the Crown applied to have him moved to a separate room to continue on the stand. Defence lawyer Kevin Westell opposed the move.

But Watchuk ruled that Elburai could testify by a video link because he was clearly uncomfortable in court and at times was “curled up in a ball.”

During his morning testimony, Elburai repeated several times: “I don't want to be here to be honest.”

He even told Watchuk that if he couldn't continue his evidence on video, he was prepared to go to jail.

Antonuk told the court that Elburai had been subpoenaed to testify and warned that a warrant might be issued for his arrest if he did not comply.

Elburai clearly appeared uncomfortable when he walked in at about 10:15 a.m. and saw his longtime friend in the prisoner's box. Jin was sitting in the public gallery along with dozens of students.

He testified that Reed called him for a ride a few hours after the Manzo shooting and seemed distressed and “jittery.” Reed was in the parking lot of the Wendy's restaurant on Cambie Street in Vancouver at the time.

“I thought he was getting jumped,” Elburai said.

As they drove toward Richmond, Reed told Elburai to look at the news. The witness said he checked Safari on his phone and saw reports of the Manzo murder.

“What was your state of mind?” Antonuk asked.

Replied Elburai: “I was shocked.” He testified that Reed was dressed all in black and that he saw a bulge “underneath his clothing,” near his stomach that he thought looked like a “nine-millimetre.”

Asked what he meant by that, Elburai said “a firearm.” He said he knew the shape because he had previously held one. Antonuk also asked Elburai how he was doing financially in 2020. He admitted he was struggling and sold illicit drugs for a short period of time.

Elburai testified in a voir dire — or a trial within a trial. Watchuk will hear lawyers' arguments next week on whether his evidence should be admitted in the case.

He will be under cross-examination today.