Murders at Chinese restaurant linked to drug deal
Vancouver police say they are pouring resources and manpower into preventing a gang war in the aftermath of a shooting last week, in which masked gunmen killed two diners and wounded six others at a Chinese restaurant.
Sources familiar with the investigation said there were initial indications that the killings at the Fortune Happiness restaurant, in the city's Eastside district, were in retaliation for an unpublicised incident the week before the August 9 shootings. The earlier incident, said the source, was over a drug deal that went sour.
'We are launching probably one of the largest investigations in our history,' said police chief Jamie Graham. When asked about the possibility of retaliation, he said police would consult sources for information.
Police have refused to identify the victims, but friends and family said 19-year-old Zachary Ferland was one of the dead men. His adoptive parents have refused to discuss the incident, but a page on the Facebook website had been set up in honour of the man from Prince Rupert, British Columbia province.
One of the injured men was identified by Global BC television station as Son 'Sonny' Bui. One of the six injured men is in critical condition, two are in serious conditions.
