Investigation of Surrey slayings extends to 2nd highrise

Homicide detectives have moved their command post to a second highrise while continuing their investigation into what RCMP say were gang-style killings of six men in an apartment in Surrey, B.C.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Peter German said Tuesday that the Surrey homicides stemmed from 'guns, gangs, drugs and violence.'
(CBC)

Dozens of investigators on Tuesday descended upon another Surrey apartment that is no more than three kilometres from Balmoral Tower, where the bodies were found on Friday afternoon.

But police were not releasing any information Tuesday night. So far, no arrests have been made in the case and police have not revealed how any of the six died.

"This case while early in the investigative stage has all the signs of being an organized crime or gang-related incident. It is not a random act," Supt. Wayne Rideout of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), said earlier in the day.

"These murders are an outrageous act of violence perpetrated on individuals," said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Peter German.

"These murders are the product, to a greater or lesser degree, of the combination of guns, gangs, drugs and violence."

Supt. Wayne Rideout says the four men who lived in Apt. 1505 were involved in some form of drug activity.
(CBC)

The IHIT released the identities of the men, who were found on a 15th floor unit of a highrise condominium at 9830 East Whalley Ring Road.

Police believe that four of the six victims lived criminal lifestyles and "the residents of the apartment were at least in part utilizing that premise for some form of drug activity," Rideout said.

Those four men, who all lived in Apt. 1505, were:

• Edward Narong, 22.
• Corey Lal, 21.
• Michael Lal, 26, brother of Corey Lal.
• Ryan Bartolomeo, 19.

The other two victims — Chris Mohan, 22, of Surrey and Edward J. Schellenberg, 55, of Abbotsford — were innocent bystanders, the RCMP said Tuesday.

The person renting Apt. 1505 was not one of the victims, and is not co-operating with police, police said.

Forty-eight homicide detectives are working on the case full-time. Over 150 officers from various municipal, provincial and federal police agencies have been supporting the investigation since Friday.

Police have made no arrests and appealed to the public, including those active in gang and criminal activities, to come forward with any information about the person or persons behind the killings.

Also on Tuesday night, residents at the Balmoral Tower organized a meeting, which was believed to be a discussion of safety issues after the slayings. Reporters were not allowed in the meeting.