Innocent Surrey shooting victim is a 64-year-old woman from Ontario

RCMP say the unintended victim of yesterday's shooting in the Newton area of Surrey is a 64-year-old woman.

Cpl. Scotty Schumann with Surrey RCMP says the womanis in town from Ontario to visit family.

"Certainly, it does strike a chord with officers because an innocent person was involved," Schumann said.

"At this point, we don't have any suspects, and there are no people in custody."

The woman was in a minivan with several others when gunfire erupted between two vehicles near 147A Street and 77 Avenue around 3:30 p.m.

Her shoulder was grazed by a bullet.No one else was hurt.

Neighbours saw a black Hyundai sedan and a red pickup truck speeding away from the scene.

Soon after, a truck matching the description was found engulfed in flames a short distance away.

'Frightened and Sore'

Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner spoke with the victim Monday, after she had been released from the hospital.

"I talked a bit about how sorry I was around the incident," Hepner said.

"I was more concerned about how she was feeling and I assured her that I was thinking of her and the whole of the city would be with her in her recovery."

She says the woman is 'frightened and sore' but she's going to be OK.

"She was thankful for the call and I was very impressed with her demeanour and her acceptance," Hepner said.

Hepner says she has also spoken with Surrey RCMP Chief Supt. Dwayne McDonald, who assured her investigators are making good progress in the case.

New government, new opportunity?

Hepner says she also wants to talk to premier-designate John Horgan in the near future to discuss more provincial spending for anti gang initiatives.

"Some of the funding from the Combined Forces [Special Enforcement Unit] was cut several years ago, and I'd like to maybe see some of that funding be reintroduced," she said.

Hepner also wants to ask for more money aimed at keeping at-risk youth away from gangs, such as the Wraparound Program.

Newly elected Surrey-Guildford NDP MLA Garry Begg says that won't be a problem.

"Certainly some of those things will be top of our priority list," Begg said.

"I've worked with her in the past and I know that she and Ihave the same goals and that is to make sure the public is safe.

Community shaken

Newton Community Association spokesperson Douglas Elford says this shooting has left the neighbourhood shaken.

"It's really struck a lot of emotions in me because this has happened very close to where my son lives and it could have been him," Elford said.

Elford says the Surrey RCMP has brought in 132 new police officers over the last three years, but despite the added manpower, shootings are still taking place.

"Maybe it's time to look at our own police force where they're not answering to somebody in Ottawa," he said.

"Maybe they should start dealing with some of these people at the top and chasing some of the bigger criminals in this organized crime structure."

Schumann says Surrey is a safe city.

"What I can say about the peak in shootings that we had in 2015, we made a number of significant arrests and we feel that group of low level drug dealers that were responsible for a lot of violence in the city were sort of taken out of the equation," he said.

"I can't say that we're starting to see things ramp up, because in the city here, we're seeing violent crime decrease."