A delivery driver who was shot seven times while dropping off food in Coquitlam, B.C., in January is speaking out after waiting months for someone to be held accountable.
Nader Ahmadirad arrived at a home in the 1400-block of Kingston Street in the early hours of Jan. 10, 2021, with an order from DoorDash. As he pulled up, his car was surrounded by four men with guns — and then they started shooting.
Ahmadirad says police later told him more than 40 bullets were found at the scene, seven of which struck him in the face, his arm and his side.
It was his second day on the job.
Ahmadirad immigrated to Canada from Iran in 2018 with plans for a more peaceful life for him and his family.
“We migrated to Canada to this beautiful city to have peace of mind, safety, and security, and I couldn’t believe it,” he said, with the help of a Farsi translator.
“I’m still in shock.”
He’s still dealing with the physical and emotional trauma inflicted on him that night.
“Any kind of noise scares me,” he said. “I get frightened. I’m scared of the darkness. When it gets night, I’m scared.”
He said he also has flashbacks of the shooting.
Ahmadirad says police told him it was a case of mistaken identity, and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He was also told at least one of the people involved is known to the police.
Shortly after the shooting, police found a car on fire in the 3500 block of Gislason Avenue and said it was believed to be connected.
However, no one has been arrested in the case, which Ahmadirad finds concerning.
“I don’t know why the process is going this slowly,” he said. “They put the public safety at risk and also my safety was at risk and still I feel like could be at risk.”
Const. Deanna Law, a media relations officer with the Coquitlam RCMP, told CBC the investigation is “complicated” and investigators have been working hard to collect evidence.
“Police understand when someone has been affected that the process may seem to take too long for them,” she said in an emailed statement.
During an investigation, police interview witnesses, canvas the area for video footage, work with other units and obtain judicial authorizations.
“All this takes time,” Law said.
Due to the Privacy Act, police are unable to comment on this particular case further. Law said RCMP will provide an update “if something transpires.”
Ahmadirad said this is what hears from police each time he contacts them for an update.
He hopes that by sharing his story, someone who has information about the attack will come forward and help move the police investigation along.