Kal Dosanjh, a former Vancouver Police Department officer and founder of the KidsPlay Foundation, expressed his grief over the death of an 18-year-old victim in a gang-related shooting in Surrey on Sunday. Dosanjh had mentored the teenager for three years through the foundation, which aims to steer youth away from gangs, drugs, and violence.
"He was dealing with a lot of suffering and trauma," Dosanjh said. The victim's mother, a single mother working multiple jobs, had reached out to Dosanjh for help, recognizing her son was easily influenced by negative influences.
The teenager was one of two youths shot dead in an underground parking lot at a Newton apartment complex. Both victims were involved in the B.C. gang conflict and had ties to organized crime, according to homicide investigators. The killings are believed to be retaliation for a recent murder of a Brothers Keepers gangster.
Dosanjh described the victim as having a "big heart" and being a positive influence on younger children in the program. However, he acknowledged the pull of gang life, offering money and status, which ultimately led the teen back to a dangerous path. "The other side kept pulling him back," Dosanjh said. "It just hurts."
