‘You can’t feel safe’: Langley resident says shots fired at house in case of ‘mistaken identity’

It was a shocking early morning awakening for a family in a normally quiet neighbourhood in Langley.

Mounties in Langley say they’re looking for connections to extortion or gang violence—but have not yet found any—after a home was shot up overnight.

A relative of the family that owns the home, who spoke to CTV News but asked not to be named or appear on camera, says the incident is a case of mistaken identity.

“We don’t know why this happened,” she said in an interview outside the home, broken glass strewn about her feet.

“We’re not part of any issues, any extortion-related problems or anything like that.”

The call came in shortly after 12:40 a.m., Langley RCMP said in a news release Friday.

Officers responding to the scene in the 21500 block of 45A Avenue “located evidence consistent with shots having been fired at a residence,” the release reads.

“Fortunately, no individuals were injured as a result of this incident; however, property damage was reported,” said Sgt. Zynal Sharoom, in the release.

“Investigators have since been working to gather evidence, canvass the area for witnesses, and review any available surveillance footage to further the investigation.”

The family member says police told her there have been extortion-related threats in the neighbourhood, but they did not specify where.

Surveillance video from the home shows the shooter, dressed in all black, standing in the middle of the cul-de-sac and firing more than a dozen shots toward the home. Some of the bullets clearly strike the glass railing on the home’s porch, multiple panes of which can be seen shattering.

The family member said most of the family was home when the shots were fired.

“It’s terrifying. We have young kids in the home,” she said, adding that the family feels unsafe as a result of the incident.

“There’s not a lot of patrol. There’s not a lot of protection. The police don’t have the resources to take care of this, I don’t think. How can you? You can’t give anybody 24-7 security. You can’t give them 24-7 peace of mind. So, no, you can’t feel safe.”

The family member says she’s speaking out as a warning to others in Metro Vancouver who may not think the extortion crisis affects them.

“Don’t think you’re safe because you’re not getting the call or your family’s not being extorted,” she said. “Your house could be mistaken. It could be targeted.”

As for her message to the shooters?

“Grow up,” she said. “Get a life. Just stop.”

Police asked anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting or who has dash-cam or surveillance video from the surrounding area recorded between midnight and 1 a.m. Friday to come forward.

“Investigators are working to determine whether this incident is linked to extortion activities or the on-going gang conflict in British Columbia, though there is currently no confirmation of any such connection,” Sharoom said.

Anyone with information should call Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200 and quote file number 2026-18231, police said.