Surrey police say an Indian celebrity’s local café twice targeted by gunmen has been hit with bullets once again, in what has become common violence often associated with extortion.
The Surrey Police Service (SPS) said officers responded to the city’s Newton area Thursday where there were reports of Kap’s Cafe, in the 8400 block of 120 Street, being damaged by bullets just before 4 a.m. PT.
âIt was also quickly determined that there were staff on site at the time of the shooting but fortunately nobody was injured,â the force said in a news release.
The café is owned by famed Indian comedian and TV host Kapil Sharma.
The SPS has not confirmed whether the incident is connected to extortion, but says it appears to be.
“This has the earmarks of extortion,” SPS spokesperson Ian MacDonald told CBC News, adding that their department and the Provincial Extortion Task Force are already investigating the previous shootings at Kap’s.
The café was first shot at in July, shortly after it opened. It was then struck a second time in August.
Kap’s owner, Sharma, is one of the most famous comedians and entertainers in India, with more than 45 million followers on Instagram.
MacDonald said there have been 65 reported extortion-related cases and 35 connected shootings in the city so far this year.
Police say those cases have primarily targeted individuals or businesses in South Asian communities, who are receiving threatening demands for money by letters, phone calls, text messages or social media.
Earlier this week, police said a woman had been injured in an extortion-related shooting, the first injury in the city related to the crime this year.
Anyone with information about the Kap’s Cafe shooting, or who has dash-cam or CCTV footage, is asked to contact the SPS non-emergency line at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 25-90856 (SP), or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.
