Gunshot leads to arrest

Langley police believe they have found the man who fired off a gunshot in a City back alley on Dec. 2, after a tip from the public.

On Dec. 2, the Langley RCMP asked for public help finding the person who had fired a single shot in the 20200 block of 54A Avenue at about 12:15 p.m.

When police arrived, there was no one there, and although witnesses saw a Dodge Charger leaving the scene, there was no way to know for sure if it was related to the gunshot, said Cpl. Holly Marks, spokesperson for the Langley RCMP.

“Incidents seemingly absent of a logical explanation, such as gunshots in the City area, are an immediate cause for concern for police,” said Supt. Murray Power, the head of the Langley RCMP. “Some of the specifics surrounding this investigation set off early alarm bells warning of potential future violence.”

Officers gathered evidence at the scene and Serious Crime Investigators then spent hours speaking to witnesses, and trying to determine exactly what happened.

Officers heard that there had been some kind of altercation at the scene, said Marks, and eventually they identified the owner and eventually the suspected driver of the Charger.

On Jan. 5, a report of a disturbance of some kind led police to respond. When they arrived at the scene, they found no one was willing to talk, said Marks.

The following day, however, a resident called the police, worried about the safety of a family member.

The “disturbance” had been a home invasion, and both that incident and the Dec. 2 gunshot are thought to be related to a dispute over drugs and money, said Marks.

On Jan. 9, Langley RCMP arrested Matthew Endean, 43, who was found with a loaded gun and a substance believed to be marijuana.

Endean, a Langley resident previously known to police, has now been charged with a string of crimes, including unlawfully discharging a firearm, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, and possession of a firearm contrary to an order.

Endean is still in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 22.

Power said police will continue to do everything they can to “catch up to and get ahead of these violent individuals.”