The murder trial for a man accused of a shooting at the University Golf Course near UBC has commenced. Prosecutors described the incident as a “brazen daylight shooting” that resulted in the death of Vishal Walia and a high-speed police chase that led to the arrest of three individuals.

On October 17, 2022, Walia was shot multiple times in the parking lot of the golf course. Prosecutor Julia Robinson stated in her opening remarks that the shooting occurred at 9:49 a.m. Witnesses reported seeing two masked gunmen approach Walia and open fire while he stood behind his car. Police later recovered 19 shell casings from the scene.

Dramatic dashcam footage presented in court showed the police chase reaching speeds of at least 135 km/h. The pursuit involved the suspect vehicle and multiple police cars weaving through traffic on Highway 91. The chase ended less than 30 minutes after the shooting when the suspect vehicle crashed into a police car after exiting onto Westminster Highway.

Balraj Singh Basra, 25, is on trial for first-degree murder and arson. He appeared in court wearing a black suit and answered “not guilty” to the charges. Co-accused Iqbal Kang and Deandre Baptiste were mentioned but are not part of this trial.

Robinson detailed the events following the shooting, noting that a grey Audi A4 sedan was reported burning nearby shortly after the incident. The vehicle had been stolen from Surrey two months prior and was found with stolen license plates. A neighbor also reported a fleeing white Honda CRV, which was also stolen.

Police located the Honda CRV and initiated a chase. RCMP Constable Ali Bosir, who joined the pursuit after cutting short his coffee break, confirmed that officers successfully apprehended the suspects, including Basra.

Evidence presented in court included a gas can found in the Honda CRV and an iPhone that was traced to various locations, including the murder scene. Robinson stated that security footage showed the three accused leaving a Surrey condo together on the morning of the murder.

The prosecution plans to show that the iPhone was used to coordinate the events leading up to the shooting. Robinson claimed that the trip to Walmart was intended to purchase clothing for the crime. Charred remains of clothing, including a black hoodie and shoes, were found in the Audi, along with two burned firearms. The prosecution asserts that the shell casings recovered from the crime scene will match the bullets from these guns.

Robinson expressed confidence that the evidence will demonstrate that Basra committed the murder in a planned and premeditated manner. The trial is ongoing.