A 24-year-old Coquitlam man,Tyrel O’Hearn, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a January 2024 shooting that left one man dead near a busy intersection in the city.
On January 6, 2024, at approximately 4:14 p.m., Coquitlam RCMP responded to reports of a shooting near Westwood Street and Glen Drive. Officers arrived to find a man suffering from life-threatening injuries. The victim, a 21-year-old Coquitlam resident, was taken to hospital, where he later died.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) took over the case, working alongside Coquitlam RCMP, the BC Coroners Service, and the Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS). Investigators determined the shooting was targeted and linked to organized crime. The file was later prioritized as a project-based investigation by IHIT’s Integrated Gang Homicide Team (IGHT) due to its complexity.
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On October 17, 2025, IGHT investigators, supported by the Lower Mainland District Integrated Emergency Response Team, arrested 24-year-old Tyrel O’Hearn of Coquitlam. The BC Prosecution Service has since approved one count of first-degree murder against him. O’Hearn remains in custody.
“Any time organized criminals operate and bring their violence to communities, it demonstrates their disregard for the safety of others,” said Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT. “Due to the fluid nature of the gang landscape, we must continue to finetune our approach in tackling these crimes, and IGHT is designed to do that.”
IHIT’s Officer-in-Charge, Supt. Mandeep Mooker, added that the creation of IGHT has strengthened their capacity to investigate gang-related homicides. “We are proud of this team’s focus and their continued efforts in making our communities safer from gang violence,” he said.
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