The tale has been making the rounds of the local bulletin board all weekend and today Global BC confirmed rumour in the five o'clock news and made it fact.
A former Prince Rupert resident Zachary Ferland, 19 was one of two killed in execution style in Vancouver last week. Six other patrons of the restaurant who were sitting at the table were also shot and remain in Hospital.
Vancouver Police have had little to say on the shootings since they took place Thursday morning and have yet to confirm any of the details that the Vancouver media have been digging up on their own.
The Vancouver Sun spoke with Ferland's aunt who explained how the family is coping with the tragedy and outlined how the former Prince Rupert resident found himself in that restaurant last Thursday.
Facebook the social networking site has had a page created in Ferland's memory, it is titled "In memory of Zachary Ferland", so far 362 members have joined the memorial site.
Murder victim got caught up in wrong crowd: aunt
Linda Nguyen,
Vancouver Sun
Monday, August 13, 2007
Zachary Ferland, a 19-year-old Prince Rupert man identified by family as one of the two people killed in last week’s shooting rampage at a Vancouver Chinese restaurant, was a “beautiful boy,” his aunt said Monday.
Nancy Hubbard described Ferland as a “very smart boy” who got caught up in the wrong crowd.“When something like this happens, it’s gangs, drugs,” she said in a telephone interview with The Vancouver Sun Monday.
“Zach wasn’t just an Asian drug dealer but that’s the brush he has been painted with. He was loved by his family and gave a lot of love . . . he made some poor choices and it got him killed.”
She said his family, including his adoptive parents Francois and Ella Ferland and brother Noah, 23, were “coping with this tragedy as expected.”
Ferland was killed when two gunmen burst into the Fortune Happiness Restaurant at 624 East Broadway at about 4 a.m. last Thursday and opened fire on nine people sitting at a table.
Two were killed, six were injured; one escaped with no injuries.
Although Vancouver police have refused to identify any of the victims, a Global BC newscast Monday named Ferland as one of the slain and 27-year-old Son “Sonny” Bui as one of the injured. It said Bui remains in serious condition in hospital.
Vancouver police would not confirm or deny the accuracy of the information.
Police spokesman Const. Howard Chow said Monday that while six people were initially sent to hospital, three have been released.“Three are left in the hospital and they’re in serious condition — two men and a woman,” he said. "They're serious."He said the most severely hurt man is now expected to survive.
The shooting is believed to be gang-related. But Chow said Monday that investigators have told Vancouver police there is “no indication” that a gun seized during a weekend raid in Abbotsford had any connection to the restaurant shootings.
Ferland had moved to Vancouver in August 2006 after graduating from Prince Rupert secondary school. She said he had a “beautiful soul and sometimes a rough exterior.”
Ferland kept in touch with his parents and always came home for family gatherings, she added, noting the family was aware he had fallen in with the wrong crowd.
“He made some poor choices, ultimately in choosing his friends, in choosing his life in the last couple of months that led to what happened in that restaurant,” she said. “He made some poor choices that led to that and he paid the ultimate price.” She feared the public will get the wrong message about him.“I don’t want him to be portrayed as an Asian gang-banger,” she said.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a group created in Ferland’s memory on the popular social networking website Facebook had more than 350 members.
Friends described his family as “prestigious” in Prince Rupert and said his mother was a popular dance instructor.
Stephanie Rose, 18, grew up with Ferland and said he “was a true friend.“Zach was an all-round awesome person, always making people laugh. No matter what, he was always smiling.”
.
A former Prince Rupert resident Zachary Ferland, 19 was one of two killed in execution style in Vancouver last week. Six other patrons of the restaurant who were sitting at the table were also shot and remain in Hospital.
Vancouver Police have had little to say on the shootings since they took place Thursday morning and have yet to confirm any of the details that the Vancouver media have been digging up on their own.
The Vancouver Sun spoke with Ferland's aunt who explained how the family is coping with the tragedy and outlined how the former Prince Rupert resident found himself in that restaurant last Thursday.
Facebook the social networking site has had a page created in Ferland's memory, it is titled "In memory of Zachary Ferland", so far 362 members have joined the memorial site.
Murder victim got caught up in wrong crowd: aunt
Linda Nguyen,
Vancouver Sun
Monday, August 13, 2007
Zachary Ferland, a 19-year-old Prince Rupert man identified by family as one of the two people killed in last week’s shooting rampage at a Vancouver Chinese restaurant, was a “beautiful boy,” his aunt said Monday.
Nancy Hubbard described Ferland as a “very smart boy” who got caught up in the wrong crowd.“When something like this happens, it’s gangs, drugs,” she said in a telephone interview with The Vancouver Sun Monday.
“Zach wasn’t just an Asian drug dealer but that’s the brush he has been painted with. He was loved by his family and gave a lot of love . . . he made some poor choices and it got him killed.”
She said his family, including his adoptive parents Francois and Ella Ferland and brother Noah, 23, were “coping with this tragedy as expected.”
Ferland was killed when two gunmen burst into the Fortune Happiness Restaurant at 624 East Broadway at about 4 a.m. last Thursday and opened fire on nine people sitting at a table.
Two were killed, six were injured; one escaped with no injuries.
Although Vancouver police have refused to identify any of the victims, a Global BC newscast Monday named Ferland as one of the slain and 27-year-old Son “Sonny” Bui as one of the injured. It said Bui remains in serious condition in hospital.
Vancouver police would not confirm or deny the accuracy of the information.
Police spokesman Const. Howard Chow said Monday that while six people were initially sent to hospital, three have been released.“Three are left in the hospital and they’re in serious condition — two men and a woman,” he said. "They're serious."He said the most severely hurt man is now expected to survive.
The shooting is believed to be gang-related. But Chow said Monday that investigators have told Vancouver police there is “no indication” that a gun seized during a weekend raid in Abbotsford had any connection to the restaurant shootings.
Ferland had moved to Vancouver in August 2006 after graduating from Prince Rupert secondary school. She said he had a “beautiful soul and sometimes a rough exterior.”
Ferland kept in touch with his parents and always came home for family gatherings, she added, noting the family was aware he had fallen in with the wrong crowd.
“He made some poor choices, ultimately in choosing his friends, in choosing his life in the last couple of months that led to what happened in that restaurant,” she said. “He made some poor choices that led to that and he paid the ultimate price.” She feared the public will get the wrong message about him.“I don’t want him to be portrayed as an Asian gang-banger,” she said.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a group created in Ferland’s memory on the popular social networking website Facebook had more than 350 members.
Friends described his family as “prestigious” in Prince Rupert and said his mother was a popular dance instructor.
Stephanie Rose, 18, grew up with Ferland and said he “was a true friend.“Zach was an all-round awesome person, always making people laugh. No matter what, he was always smiling.”
.
Fortune Happiness shooting victim 'warm, loyal'
Cheryl Chan
The Province
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Cheryl Chan
The Province
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
One of two people killed in last week's shootings at a Chinese restaurant on East Broadway has been identified on popular social networking site Facebook as Zachary Ferland, 19, of Prince Rupert.
Police would not confirm yesterday that Ferland is one of the shooting victims at the Fortune Happiness restaurant, but friends have begun posting messages on Facebook, saying goodbye to a person they describe as fun-loving, warm and loyal.
A Facebook tribute page contained the names of 353 friends yesterday.
Ferland's parents, who live in Prince Rupert, could not be reached.
Another victim of the restaurant shooting was identified by Global B.C. as Son Boui. The man, who is in his late 20s, survived the shooting.
Other news sites with links to the story.
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CTV-Van. police making progress in shooting probe
CBC-Abbotsford arrests not tied to deadly Vancouver restaurant shooting: police
CBC-Deadly Vancouver restaurant shooting likely 'targeted hit': police
24 Hours Vancouver-Shooting probe continues
Globe and Mail-Manhunt on for gunmen who sprayed restaurant
Vancouver Province-East Van neighbourhood reeling in wake of double murder
Vancouver Province-Fortune Happiness shooting victim 'warm, loyal'
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