UPDATE: Surrey shooting leads to Delta arrest
Surrey RCMP have one person in custody after the shooting of Aaron Tam, a 28-year-old drug dealer who was known to police for dial-a-dope operations.
Tam was getting out of his rented blue Hundai Elantra Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. at 144 Street and 92 Avenue when he was pushed to the ground by someone. That person then opened fire on Tam, shooting him in the leg, body and head.
The shooter then hopped into Tam's car and took off.
Tam made his way to a nearby home, where he asked for medical help. He was also able to give an accurate description of the car before being taken to hospital.
About an hour-and-a-half later, the car was found in flames on Bates Road in North Delta, near 72 Avenue, east of Highway 91.
A witness said they saw two people leaving the vehicle.
Delta police, with aid from emergency response teams who were performing tactical exercises in the area, arrested a 22-year-old with extensive burns to his hands.
A weapon in the shooting has not yet been found.
Police are recommending charges of arson at this point.
"That investigation is ongoing. He remains a person of interest in the shooting file," said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Drew Grainger.
Police are saying the shooting was targeted and that the people involved were not part of any high-level gang activity.
That said, "with any prolific drug dealer, there's going to be connections to organized crime somewhere along the line, Unfortunately that's the way this operates," Grainger said.
Tam is in hospital in critical condition, but is expected to survive.
He is not cooperating with police.
Photo: Two kids look on from a doorway as heavily armed police do a sweep of a North Delta neighbourood on Tuesday morning.
Boaz Joseph / The Leader
Timeline of recent shootings in Surrey
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