Solving public shootings a 'top priority' for Lower Mainland police: Delta chief

The police chief in Delta, B.C., is offering comfort to community members following a spate of public shootings in the Lower Mainland, saying officers across the region are working together to solve the crimes.

Chief Neil Dubord acknowledges many residents are feeling anxious after a corrections officer was gunned down in a brazen attack outside the Scottsdale Centre mall on Saturday afternoon.

That was followed by a shooting outside another shopping centre in Langley, B.C., on Monday, although the two incidents have not been linked.

There was also a targeted attack Sunday in Burnaby on a woman who is expected to survive and a fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man in Surrey, B.C., on Friday.

Dubord says the killing of the corrections officer, 29-year-old Bikramdeep Randhawa, has all the markings of a gang attack, but investigators have not confirmed that link and are exploring all possible motives.

He says the recent shootings show a shocking disregard for public safety, but he assured residents that the community remains safe and solving the crimes is a top priority.