It’s been more than a month since a City of Vancouver worker was shot and killed outside his home in Burnaby, and the public is no closer to finding out the motive behind the violent attack.
Around noon on July 17, Burnaby RCMP descended on a home in the 7900 block of Wickham Place, a cul-de-sac off Berkley Street near Canada Way. At the scene, officers found 53-year-old Hanif Jessa. He had been shot and was rushed to the hospital, where he died. Jessa was identified as a Burnaby resident and the night superintendent of street cleaning for the City of Vancouver, and his death sparked the lockdown of several City of Vancouver buildings and works yards.
At a press conference on July 18, Sgt. Stephanie Ashton, spokesperson for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, told reporters no one had been arrested, and in fact, there were no suspects at all.
Despite her statement, reporters pressed on, asking about suspect vehicles, descriptions and so on, but Ashton was adamant – there were no suspects.
“We are treating this homicide investigation with the seriousness it deserves, and the public can be assured all possible steps are being taken to address their concerns by conducting a thorough and detailed investigation,” she added.
But since then, many questions still remain, including what was the motive behind the shooting?
At the time of the incident, it was suggested that Jessa was involved in a dispute with a coworker. When the City of Vancouver was notified about Jessa’s death, the Vancouver police were called in to secure several city works yards and job sites. Additional officers were also sent to city buildings, including city hall, to provide extra security. In a statement, police said a threat against a City of Vancouver employee was what sparked the heavy-handed response. It’s unknown, however, if Jessa was the only city employee in danger, and if he was, why lockdown the city buildings?
Mayor Gregor Robertson, along with Vancouver police spokespeople, wouldn’t comment on the investigation, adding it was in the hands of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
There’s also the issue of the two employees with the City of Port Moody who were put on lockdown. The Port Moody Police put out a statement shortly after the shooting confirming “steps were taken to safe-guard” two employees. It’s still unknown what connected the two Port Moody employees to Jessa and the City of Vancouver, and whether there was a threat against them or if the police were just being cautious.
In a recent email to the NOW, Ashton said, at this time, there was no new information available about Jessa’s death.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the homicide team at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by emailing [email protected]. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
