Investigators are looking into the death of Gavinder (Gavin) Grewal, and suspect that his death was targeted hit as he was involved in a drug war in Abbotsford, Canada.
Grewal, who was found dead on Dec. 22 in an apartment in the 1500 Block of Fern Street, is known to have been a gang leader, and received warning from Abbotsford Police Department (APD) in March 2015. The warning was also given to Sandeep Sidhu and Jimi Sandhu, who were identified by Police chief Bob Rich in an earlier interview with Abbotsford News, as leaders of another gang. According to APD, these men were part of a gang battle and were immersed in a criminal lifestyle involving violence, drugs and weapons.
Gavinder Grewal
The public warning said that the three men pose the risk of “significant harm to the safety of the community and anyone who may associate with them.” The warning added that Grewal had a criminal conviction for extortion and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, Voiceonline report said. He was also prohibited from possessing firearms.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) was sent to the scene as soon as it was confirmed that Grewal was the victim, The Abbotsford News reported. The authorities believe that his death is linked to the lower Mainland gang conflict over the region’s drug territory.
“What our investigators are doing are we’re consulting with our partners from the gang enforcement unit throughout the region, because they are the gang experts so they may know a bit more information about Gavinder,” IHIT spokesman Cpl. Frank Jang told North Shore News, adding that the department does not believe Grewal’s death was a “random incident.”
The IHIT said it is working closely with its partners from the North Vancouver RCMP, the Integrated Forensic Identification Section and the B.C. Coroner’s Service to gather evidence.
Grewal, 30, was involved in the 2010 shooting of Mandy Johnson, an incident police attributed to street-level drug trade. He was charged for manslaughter in June 2016. Johnson’s boyfriend, Gater Browne, who the police believe was supposed to be the actual target of the shooting, was able to flee the scene.
Grewal and co-accused, also charged with Browne’s attempted murder, were to go on trial from Jan. 15 in the Supreme Court in New Westminister.