Winnipeg police track down 2022 homicide suspect who fled to B.C.
Posted July 2, 2023 1:06 pm.
Last Updated July 2, 2023 1:13 pm.
Police have arrested and charged a 20-year-old Winnipeg man who allegedly fled to B.C. after a November 2022 homicide.
The Winnipeg Police Service says a 21-year-old man was shot and killed following a fight involving two groups downtown on McDermot Avenue in the early hours of Nov. 5, 2022.
Police say they arrived to find the victim, identified as James Raynard Asham, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, where he died of his injuries.
Homicide investigators believe a confrontation between two groups escalated into a physical fight.
“The suspect produced a firearm and deployed it, striking the victim in the upper body,” Winnipeg police said in a news release Sunday.
“The suspect fled before the police arrived.”
Winnipeg police believe the suspect and victim were previously known to one another.
Asham’s death was the 45th homicide in Winnipeg last year, establishing a new record.
McDermot Avenue in downtown Winnipeg on Nov. 6, 2022. (CityNews)
Detectives say a suspect was identified, and he allegedly fled to B.C. “immediately after the incident.” WPS investigators say they identified a residence in Langley, B.C., and obtained a warrant of arrest for second-degree murder.
The B.C. Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (BCCFSEU) arrested the suspect in Langley on June 22, Winnipeg police say.
He was turned over to homicide unit investigators and flown to Winnipeg.
Shiv Austin Harper, 20, was charged with second-degree murder and other offences. He remains in custody.
The WPS homicide unit is continuing to investigate.
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