The Surrey Police Service (SPS) says a victim sent to hospital in critical condition after shots were fired at a home on Sunday is believed to be the first extortion-related injury in the city this year, amid an increase in the crime.
The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. PT Sunday at a house in the 13000 block of 103-A Avenue.
Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said a vehicle pulled up to the home and shots were fired at the structure before the vehicle and the people inside it drove away.
Multiple people were in the home when it was shot at, said Houghton.
The victim — a woman in her mid-20s — was struck by a bullet while she was sleeping in the home, said police. Emergency responders gave life-saving treatment before she was transported to hospital in critical condition.
Police later updated her status to stable.
“I believe it is the first injury related to one of our extortion-related shots fired so far in 2025,” said Houghton.
The SPS says there have been 56 reported extortion-related cases and 31 connected shootings in the city so far this year.
Police say individuals or businesses in predominantly South Asian communities are receiving threatening demands for money by letters, phone calls, text messages or social media.
“The level of violence is certainly unacceptable to us and should be unacceptable to everybody,” said Houghton. “We’re working around the clock not only to prevent other incidents, but to work to identify the suspects.”
Police have not announced any arrests or suspects in this latest case. Last week, the SPS announced charges for seven men in three separate cases.
Surrey has launched an extortion tip line in hopes of helping law enforcement solve the crimes.
The city also has a $250,000 fund to award tipsters who provide information about extortions that lead to convictions.
The SPS said the fund is one of the largest police rewards in Canadian history. The hope is that a significant cash reward will motivate people to come forward to investigators with information about extortions and those behind them.
“Everyone has the right to live and work without fear, and we need anyone with information to come forward before someone gets hurt or worse,” said the city in a news release when the fund was announced in mid-September.
A new provincial task force has also been formed to tackle the growing number of extortion threats and shootings targeting British Columbia’s South Asian community.
