Oct 2 - Man sentenced to six years for shootout at rapper's Colwood home

Good morning !

We’ve got two Westshore stories for you today.

Langford is getting a new high school, set to be built in 2027.

A man has been sentenced to six years for the dramatic shooting and fire that happened at Punjabi rapper AP Dhillon’s Colwood home last year.

Read on to find out more.

— Robyn

Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes

🌡️ Weather Forecast

Today: 🌦️ 14 / 10

Tomorrow: ⛅ 15 / 10

Saturday: ⛅ 14 / 11

NEWS

Man gets six years for Colwood shooting and arson; another likely on the lam

One man has been sentenced for his role in a shooting and arson that took place in Colwood last year—police called it a “targeted event”—while another man who is alleged to have been involved has likely fled to India.

The charges stem from a brazen incident on Sept. 2, 2024 in which shots were fired in or at a home on Ravenwood, just west of Veterans Memorial Highway. 

The home belongs to AP Dhillon, a Punjabi singer and rapper. 

When police got there, two vehicles were fully engulfed in flames and they found evidence that multiple gunshots had been fired. A man located inside the home was escorted to safety. 

Police believe two men were responsible and on Friday, Abjeet Kingra, now 26, was sentenced to six years in jail for intentionally discharging a firearm into a place knowing or being reckless as to whether another person was present, or being reckless as to the life or safety of another person.

“In delivering the sentence, the judge acknowledged that Mr. Kingra’s involvement was not isolated, noting his connection to the Lawrence Bishnoi crime group in India and that he was acting on their instructions to commit targeted criminal acts in Canada,” West Shore RCMP said in a statement yesterday. 

Kingra also got two years for arson, with the sentences to be served concurrently. Kingra has been in custody since his arrest on Oct. 30, and has been credited with 489 days’ time served, so he has four and a half years left to serve.

Police also identified a second suspect, Vikram Sharma, 24 at the time, who is wanted for similar charges and believed to be in India.

“While we are pleased to see accountability in this case, our work is not done,” said West Shore RCMP Insp. Stephen Rose.

“We remain committed to locating Vikram Sharma and bringing him before the courts.”

Anyone with information about Vikram Sharma’s whereabouts is asked to contact West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

⚠️ Capital Bulletin

Paying City accounts: See how residents and businesses can pay their city accounts amid the Canada Post strike. [City of Vic]

Closures at Hamsterly Beach on Elk/Beaver for filming, tomorrow through Saturday. [CRD]

NEWS

BC announces new high school in Langford

A few years from now, a new high school in north Langford will welcome up to 2K students. 

Ravi Parmar, MLA for Langford-Highlands, says the province is following through on its promise to expand K-12 education in the region, calling it “the largest investment in education our community has ever seen.” BC has committed $220M to build the environmentally friendly school.

“Promise made, promise kept,” he said.

Construction is slated to begin in 2027; the province did not share when the school is expected to open.

According to the provincial government, the school will have state-of-the-art features, such as:

• modern science and computer labs for hands-on learning and exploration

• a new gym for physical education and school sports

• a theatre for performances

• an energy-saving design to produce 91% fewer carbon emissions than a typical LEED gold-standard building

• a parking lot with EV chargers for staff and students

According to the most recent census (2021), Langford was the fastest-growing municipality in BC and the third fastest-growing in Canada. 

Darlene Rotchford, MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood, says the new school will help reduce overcrowding as the population continues to expand.

“This is a significant milestone for our region,” she said.

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⭐️ Capital Picks

☕ The Reuse Stamp Card Contest is back: Bring your reusable cup to participating cafes in Victoria this month for a chance to win prizes. [City of Vic]

🧑‍🎓 Glenlyon Norfolk School empowers students to lead with confidence and compassion. Attend our Fall Open Houses to see how IB learning and belonging shape extraordinary futures.*

📚 Literary treasure hunt launched at Little Free Libraries.

🧑‍🧒 1Up Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre: Building Hope for Single Parents, One Family at a Time. Empower single parent families to thrive by donating today.*

🕎 Tzom Kal: Yom Kippur began last night. [Premier’s message]

📅 BC’s Korean Heritage Month and Islamic Heritage Month began Oct. 1.

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🗞️ In Other News

Cowichan buses to start rolling again on Monday
After a months-long shutdown of the service during the Cowichan transit workers’ strike (the longest in BC history), BC Transit has confirmed bus service in the area will resume Oct. 6. This follows the return of the handyDART service, which restarted operations earlier this week. Drivers will be given refresher training, and buses will be inspected; however, the transit service provider says there might be some disruptions and cancellations as it works to resume full operations. [CHEK]

May garners 80% support in Canada Greens leadership review
When Elizabeth May announced she would resign from her leadership position sometime next year, more than 40 party members called for her to step down immediately. Instead, a vast majority made it clear they want her at the helm during the leadership review, which took place Sept. 15 to 30. May says she’s relieved she’ll be able to leave her position on a “high note” instead of having been ousted. [Times Colonist]

Locals disentangle deer that was covered in sports netting
The deer spent at least two days with the netting wrapped around its face and antlers, prompting a group of concerned citizens to help free it. While the Ministry of Environment and Parks urged citizens to leave it to professional conservationists, the deer’s ability to see and eat was being obstructed. A group of 10 people, including a vet, searched Ross Bay Cemetery for the deer and managed to tranquilize it and cut the netting off. Twenty minutes later, the deer got up and walked away to munch on some plants. The whole ordeal took six hours in total. [Victoria News]

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🗓️ Things To Do

🧶 Craft & Connect: Drop in to work on your own project or try something new while connecting with community members at Luther Court Society today. 3-4pm. [Info]

🛍️ Esquimalt Farmers Market (indoor season): Shop for fall produce, baked goods, prepared meals, meat, honey, preserves and handmade gifts as the market moves inside Esquimalt Recreation Centre today. 4:30-7pm. [Info]

🎶 Kimberly MacGregor: Enjoy free live music alongside food trucks, games and outdoor activities at this all-ages community gathering at Ship Point today.. 5-6:30pm. [Info]

🎸 The Great Divide: Celebrate the Music of The Band: Canada's premier The Band tribute act will bring over a decade of authentic performances celebrating the group's legacy to tonight. 7pm. [Info]

🍷 Victoria International Wine Festival: Explore wines from around the globe at this multi-day festival featuring at Victoria Conference Centre. Today through Sat. [Info]

🎭 Ballet Victoria presents Aladdin: This classical ballet brings the tale of the magic lamp to life with music by Borodin, Saint-Saens, and Rimsky-Korsakov at the Royal Theatre. Tomorrow 7:30pm; Sat 2pm.  [Info]

🎦 Retromania: Fright Fest: Bringing back five classic films guaranteed to get you in the spooky spirit for Halloween, including Evil Dead 2, Donnie Darko, and of course, Halloween at Vic Theatre. Various dates. [Info]

👀 In Case You Missed It

Wednesday’s headlines: Chinatown Gate of Harmonious Interest to get 3 new roofs; Truth and Reconciliation Day message; UVic makes overdose-prevention moves. [Oct. 1]

More than Halloween: October events happening in Victoria. [Capital Daily]

Missing man, Treshaun, 28, last seen Sept. 12 near Esquimalt Plaza. [VicPD]

Freedivers join battle against invasive European green crabs in Sooke. [Black Press]

New and notable reads: See which titles were popular last month at Victoria libraries. [GVPL]

Hosts needed to billet Japanese students for four or five nights. [Oct. 21-26]

Natural art: See the beautiful patterns of a red rock crab’s carapace. [Facebook photos]

That’s it!

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