A B.C. gang hitman was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison before parole eligibility for two first-degree murders and two attempted murders.
Surrey's Tyrel Hieu George Mahoney Nguyen (a.k.a. Tyrel Quesnelle) was found guilty by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper of first-degree murders in the Oct. 27, 2017 death of Surrey's Randy Kang, 27, and of the Nov. 12, 2018 killing of Abbotsford's Jagvir Malhi, 19.
He was also convicted of the attempted murders of brother Gary Kang and Camilo Alonso, also on Oct. 27, 2017.
The sentences for the alleged Brothers Keepers gang contract killer will run concurrently, Gropper ruled.
Kang killing
Prosecutor Joe Bellows said Randy Kang was shot 13 times, including three shots to the head and face.
A pathologist testified Kang had 40 injuries to his body, 35 of which were gunshot wounds.
Gary Kang required surgery for damage to his intestine and abdomen. He had a fractured pelvic bone, a bullet exit wound on his left shoulder, and a graze wound on his right forearm.
“Surgery to his abdomen revealed a gunshot wound that had gone through his colon on the left side,” Gropper said. “A bullet was removed from underneath the skin of the abdomen.”
“Gary Kang was located at the scene with serious gunshot wounds, there is a compelling case that someone attempted to murder him,” Gropper said in her November decision.
The incident took place near Bolivar Park, off of Alpen Place in Surrey.
The judge said if Nguyen had just intended to kill Randy Kang, he would have got him alone to do so.
She said that, in all probability, Nguyen intended to kill Gary Kang and Alonso.
Gropper said in the November decision that a music video was in evidence, and that Crown suggested portions of it contained admissions made by Nguyen about the killing of Randy Kang.
“It is clear from viewing the video that the rapper on the video is Mr. Nguyen,” she said. “Specifically, Mr. Nguyen says in the music video: ‘Hop out the whip with a burner, bitch. Headshot. I’m dumping clips that’s plural shit.’ And, ‘I heard there was a tag, half a clip into his brain.’”
Malhi killing
Gropper said there had been suspicious activity seen by neighbours of an Acura car being repeatedly in Malhi’s neighbourhood and of strangers at his house.
Witnesses heard bangs and Malhi was found on the road. Attempts to revive him did not succeed.
A car similar to the suspicious one was found burned after the killing. In it, among other things, police found Nguyen’s DNA on a balaclava and on some disposable gloves.
A Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun later determined to be the firearm that killed Malhi. was also found in the vehicle with an empty magazine inserted.
An autopsy found Malhi was shot a total of eight times from the back, with no shots to the front. He had 40 injuries to his body, 33 of which were gunshot wounds.
A cellphone found in the Acura went to a website called “Tracking the World.” Data extracted from it found the phone user had gone to a tracking device that repeatedly attended Malhi’s home.
Victim impact statements
Bellows read a victim impact statement from Malhi’s parents.
“We cannot express with words how much we love and miss our son,” they said.” Our lives will never be the same.”
“When he died, a whole community mourned,” they said. “His dog still misses him and looks for him.”
"Parents should not have to bury their children,” the statement continued. “All we have now are memories.”
N. Lalli was one of the bystanders who attempted to help Malhi.
In her statement, she said the events have changed her.
“I remember the blood,” she said. “I remember him, coughing, choking on his own blood.”
She said she felt “utterly helpless” as Malhi lay dying.
“Seeing someone in that state left me broken,” Lalli said.
