Loubissi-Morris was charged after he drive into two random people in Vernon. In this Feb. 10, 2016 file photo, police cordoned off a section of 27 Avenue to investigate.

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

A man well known in Vernon for various gang-related crimes has now been arrested for attempted murder in Surrey. 

Abd'l Malik Loubissi-Morris made news in Vernon when, at just 18 years old in 2016, he drove his BMW into two random strangers walking on the street, pinning a young woman under the vehicle.

A witness told iNFOnews.ca shortly after the incident he had no idea why they were attacked.

“They had the window rolled down and the passenger said ‘what’s up.’ We looked at each other and said ‘not much.’ That’s when they immediately reversed quickly, aimed the car at us, stopped for a second. We all started moving away so they could park — none of us knew who these kids were…. They started coming towards us for a half second at a slow speed, and then all of a sudden they floored it.”

Loubissi-Morris was eventually originally charged with assault with a weapon — the car. He was found not guilty of that offence, but was found guilty of dangerous driving. He still awaits sentencing because it appears he never returned to court for the hearing. 

He told the judge in that case he came to Vernon with a friend who said "let’s get to work and make some money" and they were looking for a house well known for being a place where drugs were dealt. They presumed the people on the street were drug users.

Loubissi-Morris was also charged with numerous breaches of bail conditions in both Vernon and Kelowna. 

He was also accused of a kidnapping in Cherryville in 2017, though the case was never prosecuted.

Surrey RCMP now say Loubissi-Morris is in custody charged with attempted murder after an innocent woman was shot in an early morning shooting in the Newton area of Surrey.  

"Investigators believe that this was a targeted incident related to the Lower Mainland Gang conflict, and the victim in this shooting was not the intended target," said Surrey RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Elenore Sturko. "The victim was an innocent bystander, a 62-year-old woman, who was visiting Surrey from Ontario."

Investigators from Kelowna and Vernon helped with that investigation. Loubissi-Morris, now 22, was arrested Dec. 11 and faces additional charges of using a firearm in the commission of an offence, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent. Police say more people could be charged. 

“To have an innocent person injured in our city as a result of gang violence is completely unacceptable,” said Investigative Services Officer, Superintendent Elija Rain. “The Surrey RCMP remain committed to gang prevention and strategic enforcement targeting gang activity in collaboration with our law enforcement and community partners.”

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