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Arrest in shooting at BC musician AP Dhillon’s home
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Arrest in shooting at BC musician AP Dhillon’s home

Vancouver Island police say one suspect has been arrested and another is believed to have fled Canada after shots were fired at the Victorian-area home of a Punjabi musician last month.

The arrest was made Wednesday in Ontario and 25-year-old Winnipeg resident Abjeet Kingra has been charged with use of a firearm with intent and arson, West Shore RCMP said.

Kingra is scheduled to appear in court in Ontario on Thursday, police said.

A second suspect, 23-year-old Vikram Sharma, was last known to reside in Winnipeg, but police believe he later fled to India.

Sharma is wanted on the same charges that Kingra is facing.

The charges stem from a Sept. 2 shooting at a home in the 3300 block of Ravenwood Road in Colwood, BC.

Videos of the attack, including some apparently taken by the attacker, were shared widely online and show at least 14 shots fired at the home of Indo-Canadian musician AP Dhillon.

On the same day, police discovered two vehicles on fire in the same block.

Neighbors told CTV News they called 911 when they woke up to gunshots and heard a vehicle speeding away from the scene. They said that the burning pickup truck in the garage of the house rolled towards the garage door and the garage was set on fire before the flames were extinguished.

The Times of India newspaper reported that the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the attack, and stated on social media that the attack was made in response to a music video that Dhillon shot with Bollywood actor Salman Khan, with whom the group is said to have been together for a long time. fight.

Dhillon made history at the 2023 Juno Awards, becoming the first Punjabi musical to be featured on air.

In an update on the incident Thursday, police described the prominent suspect, Sharma, as a South Asian man who stands 6-foot-9 and weighs 200 pounds. Black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with additional information on his whereabouts should call West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264, police said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

“West Shore RCMP officers have been working diligently throughout this investigation, which has led to the identification of the suspects involved,” said Supt. Todd Preston, officer in charge of the detachment, said in a news release.

“We will continue to pursue this investigation and the outstanding suspect until they are located and arrested.”


With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Todd Coyne