Accused in Surrey school shooting facing new Vancouver charges

A young man wanted by Surrey RCMP for attempted murder has also been charged with five new counts, including kidnapping and extortion, for an incident in Vancouver on Oct. 10.

The new charges against fugitive Shakiel Basra were sworn Oct. 15 at Vancouver Provincial Court.

Also charged in the Vancouver case is Harbir Singh Khosa, 20, and Basra’s co-accused in the Surrey shooting – Amarpreet Samra.

Samra was arrested on the outstanding warrant about 2 am Thursday in Surrey after allegedly fleeing after the car in which he was riding struck another vehicle.

Khosa appeared in Vancouver Provincial Court Friday and was remanded in custody until Oct. 20. Samra appeared in Surrey and will appear in Vancouver Provincial Court on Oct. 21. He also remains in custody.

Vancouver Police Const. Brian Montague said he couldn’t comment on the investigation that led to the new charges, which also include unlawful confinement, using an imitation firearm and assault.

Surrey RCMP announced on Sept. 25 that Basra and Samra had been charged with attempted murder for the shooting outside a Surrey elementary school 10 days earlier that left one man injured.

Police said at the time that Samra, of Richmond, and Basra, of Delta, might have gone to Alberta or Saskatchewan.

Amarpreet Samra

But the new charges and the arrest of Samra suggest both men have been around Metro Vancouver in the last week.

Both Basra and Samra were identified by Surrey RCMP last April as being involved in a raging gang conflict that has led to dozens of shootings between two gangs involved in low-level drug trafficking.

Both had refused to cooperate with officers investigating the shootings.