Family of boy killed in 2018 double homicide pleads for information

The family of Alfred Wong, the 15-year-old innocent bystander who was killed in an exchange of gunfire in Vancouver last year,is making a plea for information about their son's tragic death.

In a written statementon Wednesday, Vancouver police say new information has come to lightthat suggests there are people with key information about the double homicide.

Wong was shot and killed when a stray bullet pierced the car he and his parent were travelling in near the intersection of West Broadway and Ontario Street on Jan. 13, 2018.

Targeted shooting

Investigators say Kevin Whiteside, 23, was in the area to kill 28-year-old Vancouver resident, Matthew Navas-Rivas, who was at the Indochine restaurant with a female companion.

Police say as Navas-Rivas and the womanleft the restaurant, another person opened fire. The gunfire led to the deaths of Wong andWhiteside.

Navas-Rivas was unharmed that night.However, he was killed months later on July 15, 2018, in Vancouver in an unrelated incident.

Police say court records show Whitesidehad numerous run-ins with the law.

But Wong was an innocent youth.

Friends say he was a kind,polite and hard-working young man. Heattended Pinetree Secondary School inCoquitlam, and he waspart of a program for giftedstudents.

Wong's mother, Chelly Wong, says she knows there is nothing she can do to bring her son back.

"We think he deserves justice for his tragic death and we desperately want to know what happened that night," she said."Without your help, the police may not be able to arrest the killer, and our son will not be able to lay in rest."

Police are asking anyone with information about Wong's death to contact the Vancouver Police Departmentat (604) 717-0515 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.