'he was dealing with a lot of suffering,' says former mentor of 18-year-old victim in gang-related surrey shooting
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kal dosanjh said he warned one of the victims in sunday’s double homicide that the lifestyle he was choosing would either lead him to jail or his death.
while the longtime vancouver police officer has “seen it all,” hearing the news of the weekend killing of his former mentee was still difficult.
“when you’ve invested so much emotionally into this kid and you’re working hard to keep them on the right track, you see they are achieving success, and it feels like there is a light at the end of the tunnel that they will make it out,” dosanjh told postmedia.
“it just hurts.”
the veteran officer met the teenager three years ago through kidsplay foundation, an organization based in surrey helping youth stay out of gangs, drugs and violence. dosanjh did not want to publicly name the victim out of respect for his family, but said the victim he knew was the 18-year-old shot to death.
the two were introduced by the victim’s mother, who called dosanjh to get her son connected with kidsplay, he said.
“he was dealing with a lot of suffering and trauma,” he shared. “so she (the mother) reached out. she was working two or three jobs to make ends meet and give (him) the best life possible, but she recognized that (he) was easily influenced by the wrong people.”
the single mother asked dosanjh to help her son, and for the first while, it was working, he said.
the teenager was one of two youths gunned down in an underground parking lot at a newton apartment complex in the 7000-block of 133b street on sunday night. despite the efforts of paramedics, both he and a 16-year-old boy died at the scene.
surrey police on scene following a double fatal shooting at a housing complex in the 7000 block of 133b st. in surrey.
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the 18-year-old was an active member of kidsplay for a while, dosanjh said. he would play soccer with the younger kids, help one girl in particular with her school work, and became an “older brother” to some.
the organization runs sports programs, presentations at schools and community centres by former gang members to teach youth about the dangers of gangs, counselling services, and more.
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“he had a big heart. he loved these kids, and they loved him. he had some incredible attributes and characteristics where he would have made a tremendous leader in the community.”
at the same time, he was dealing with “demons,” dosanjh said.
homicide investigators confirmed that both victims at the shooting were involved in the b.c. gang conflict, and had histories with police in relation to organized crime.
postmedia learned earlier this week that both had links to the un gang, and their slayings are believed to be possible retaliation for the murder last month in surrey of another brothers keepers gangster.
cctv footage of suspects involved in a fatal shooting in the 6800 block of 148 street in surrey on tuesday, april 28, 2026.
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“the other side kept pulling him back,” dosanjh said. “those forces are a lot greater than ours, especially when they’re offering him so much more in terms of money and status and wealth.”
the money was likely enticing for the victim, dosanjh said, so he could help take care of his mother and she wouldn’t have to work so hard.
dosanjh saw the young man slipping away, and tried talking to him to reel him back into kidsplay.
the 18-year-old told dosanjh he would come back to the program and promised to be at the summer camps the following year. but he never came back.
“i tried reaching out to him. i went to his house, but still no response,” he said, adding that the last time the two spoke was in december 2024.
“i think he realized he was at a crossroads, and he realized that he can’t keep one foot on either side. so he is going to have to roll the dice and make a decision. that’s the decision he made.”
police on scene in surrey in the 7000-block of 133b street following the fatal shooting of two men in an underground parkade.
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before he rejoined the criminal network, the young man told dosanjh he wanted to work in trades and start his own business one day.
he told dosanjh, “i want to make my mom proud.”
“these gangs, they target vulnerable, gullible, impressionable kids and make them believe that it’s a brotherhood, that they accept them, that they’ll love them, they’ll take care of them,” dosanjh said.
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“they’re pulling these kids hook, line and sinker as bait into this lifestyle so that they can use them for their own purposes. they obviously have a hidden agenda, but these kids don’t realize it until it’s too late.”
with files from kim bolan
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