Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Callaghan Valley bombing target killed in Mexico

Alleged drug trafficker gunned down in coffee shop
news_policeline

The man police believe was the target of a murder attempt in January of this year was killed on Friday in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.

The CBC is reporting that Thomas Gisby, 50, is one of the men who suffered minor injuries in January when an explosive device was used to blow up a motor home in a snowmobile staging area. Back in January, RCMP Chief Supt. Janice Armstrong, the assistant commander and operations officer for the Lower Mainland Regional Police Service, said both men were known by police for gang-related activity.

The CBC has quoted RCMP Supt. Dan Malo as describing Gisby as "a well-known, high-ranking organized crime figure here in British Columbia."

Gisby was reportedly living in Nuevo Vallarta, which is located just north of Puerto Vallarta on Mexico's west coast.

Malo said murders like this one often leave players connected to it thinking about avenging the murder.

Armstrong said in January that the bombing of the motor home seemed to be connected to a string of violent incidents in the Vancouver area.

"Certainly it's fair to assume it's related to the ongoing violence we've been experiencing in the Lower Mainland the last little while," said Armstrong.

The investigation into the Jan. 16 explosion in the Callaghan Valley is being headed by the RCMP's criminal operations office. The explosives disposal unit, the integrated forensic identification service and other special teams based in Metro Vancouver also assisted in the investigation.

Gisby and his snowmobiling buddy were reportedly in the area for a week of sledding.

Check Thursday's edition of Pique Newsmagazine more news and any developments.