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Local hockey coach killed in Surrey, no arrests as IHIT is brought in

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – The Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association is identifying the man shot and killed in Surrey on Saturday afternoon as Paul Bennett.

The association describes Bennett, 47, as a “beloved member of our family,” and calls Bennett “devoted.” The CMHA adds it is “heartbroken” as it copes with the loss. It also confirms Bennett was a husband, father and brother.

Marty Jones with the association says the loss hits his family hard. “It’s numbing. Because of the familiarity I had with Paul, just having him coach my son, I feel like I have a hole in me. It’s not just about hockey. It’s about what kind of a man he was as well. I’ve lost a friend. We lost a coach, but it’s more than that. He was a great man.”

Bennett’s Facebook page identifies him as a registered nurse, originally from Ontario.

Homicide investigators are asking for the public’s help to find the person or persons responsible for shooting and killing a man in front of a home in a residential neighbourhood of Surrey on Saturday afternoon.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has taken over the case and says at about 4 p.m. the Mounties got numerous calls about a shooting in the area of 182A Street and 67A Avenue. When they got there they found a man with gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital but died shortly after.

“This investigation is in its early stages and we need everyone with any information about this homicide to come forward,” says IHIT Corporal Frank Jang.

Jang confirms several shots were fired and investigators are still trying to nail down an exact number. “We’re going to be working through [Sunday] and in the coming days to determine exactly what happened.”

The motive for the shooting is unclear.

“I can tell you our victim was not known to police but with that said we are still looking into his background, any police interactions he may have had, but we’re also trying to reach out to his friends and family that haven’t spoken with IHIT yet,” adds Jang. “Help us to develop a timeline of who are victim was meeting with or what he was doing leading up to the shooting or just any other information that could help us solve this murder, we urge them to come forward. We’re trying to figure out who could have wanted our victim dead.”

Jang says it’s too early to tell if the area where the man was shot is frequented by gangs. “We’re going to be looking into the addresses in that area and we’re going to be running them, seeing if there has been any police files related to the recent past.”

Surrey RCMP and the Integrated Forensic Identification Services and the BC Coroners Service are all working on this file.

Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1.877.551.IHIT (4448), or by email. You can also call CrimeStoppers at 1.800.222.TIPS (8477.)

~With files from Martin MacMahon and Adam Cooper

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