2 men charged in Surrey's 1st shooting of the year

Police believe a personal dispute and not gang warfare was at the heart of Surrey's first shooting of 2019.

Thirty-year-old Christopher Boucher and 42-year-old Jamie Timbs were both arrested Wednesday evening after shots were fired in the 14000 block of 115A Avenue. They now face a total of seven criminal charges.

"Thanks to the detailed information provided by witnesses and quick response by our frontline officers, we were able to apprehend the suspects quickly," RCMP Supt. Elija Rain said in a press release.

"Members of our general investigation unit believe that this was a targeted incident related to a personal dispute. We do not believe it was related to the Lower Mainland gang conflict."

No one was injured inthe gunfire.

At the time of the shooting, witnesses reported a dark-coloured SUV driving away from the area with its headlights off. Police located the vehicle and arrested three people the same night. One of those people was released without charge.

Boucher has been charged with four firearms-related offences, while Timbs faces three charges. They're scheduled to make their next appearances in Surrey provincial court later this month.

This is the first shooting investigation for Surrey RCMP in 2019. There were 38 instances of shots fired in the city last year, a 36 per cent decrease over 2017.