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The UN gang is a multi-ethnic crime group that has its roots in the Fraser Valley, but has grown throughout Metro Vancouver over the last few years. Members have also been showing up more frequently in the Okanagan and Interior.
40-year-old gunned down in a targeted hit late Thursday on a quiet Abbotsford street was a member of the United Nations or UN gang, The Vancouver Sun has learned.
The man, whose identity is being withheld by investigators, was gunned down on the front steps of the house he had shared with his wife and daughters for several months.But police have confirmed that he was heavily involved in organized crime.
The man is known to police and he is suspected of having links to organized crime," said Abbotsford Police Const. Casey Vinet. "All indications are that the victim was targeted."Several Lower Mainland murders and shootings have been linked to rivalries between the UN and other crime groups such as the Independent Soldiers.
Neighbours of the home at 1432 Kipling St. say the man and his family have been residing there for only a few months and kept to themselves in the close-knit community-oriented area.The man was apparently arriving home at 10:40 p.m. May 8, when he was shot on his front steps.Vinet said some witnesses described seeing a grey or silver SUV in the area at the time of the shooting, but investigators do not know if it was connected to the murder.The case is being handled by the joint police Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, Vinet said, with the involvement of Abbotsford police.The house has been owned since 2005 by Oscar Cojulun, who is now listed as living in Edmonton, suggesting the victim was a tenant.
Cojulun did not return phone calls Friday.Supt. John Robin, head of the Integrated Gang Task Force, confirmed the latest victim has considerable criminal links.
But he said it does not appear the Abbotsford shooting is connected to another gangster slaying, which occurred exactly 24 hours earlier after a fight at the Cecil strip club in downtown Vancouver."The two incidents do not appear to be related," said Robin.The identity of the 30-year-old Vancouver victim will not be released until next week, Vancouver police Const. Tim Fanning said Friday.Fanning said the Richmond man is also well-known to police though not linked to a specific gang, but with many criminal associates.He said VPD homicide investigators are poring over video surveillance from the vicinity of the shooting to attempt to identify suspects.
The Vancouver shooting took place in the hotel parking lot, at 1336 Granville St., minutes after a fight broke out inside the strip club. A second man was shot in the leg, but survived.The Cecil's liquor licence was temporarily suspended after the shooting.
The total number of homicides across the Lower Mainland in 2008 is close to 40, with 27 in IHIT's jurisdiction, 10 in Vancouver and one in Delta. Many of the slayings have been gang-related or linked to organized crime, making witnesses reluctant to come forward.
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2 comments:
As the sister of the man gunned down Thursday night I have a few things to relay regarding him, his love for his family and for life. Tho' I do not condone the lifestyle he chose I don't believe he deserved to be shot in his own home, within earshot of his 2 small daughters, and left to die. He was a strong willed, stubborn but gentle man, who's upbringing wasn't exactly a page out of
Ozzie and Harriet, and which contributed to his demeaner as an adult, and I believe that is a large part of why he chose the life he did. He always felt he had to prove to the world how "tough" he was, and the flashier the better, faster cars, bikes, bigger muscles, prettier girlfriends, he needed these things to make him feel important, and all he had to really do was look a little closer at those around him, his daughters, sisters, brothers, friends,to see he was important. I loved him fiercely and always will, and I have many moments to remember that make me smile, the big tough biker who played Abba on his bike stereo, the loving uncle who bought things for his nieces with no regard to the cost, just to see them smile, the dad who's face lit up at the sight of his daughters, the brother who I will miss everyday. RIP baby....
Wow this is shocking news! This dude is my cousin and I remember him very well from when we were younger. I haven't seen these cousins in years. It definately makes you realize how improtant FAMILY really is, if you don't already! My thoughts are with the family...R.I.P. D.M.
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