Pubdate: Fri, 19 Sep 2008
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2008 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Author: Richard Cuthbertson

GROW OP FOUND IN HOME WHERE MAN WAS SHOT

Police have found a marijuana grow operation inside the Chestermere
home of a 20-year-old man with suspected Calgary gang affiliations who
was shot to death on his doorstep Tuesday night.

RCMP don't have any suspects in the murder of Jason Viet Quoc Luong,
who was gunned down in front of his West Lakeview Place home.

But they do believe it might be gang-related.

RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb said police are taking a look at whether the
homicide is connected with a series of gang shootings that have
plagued Calgary in recent months.

RCMP are getting help in their investigation from the Calgary Police
Service homicide and gang units.

"It would be foolish to think that something like this happens totally
within Chestermere and has nothing to do with whatever happens within
(Calgary)," Webb said.

"It would be negligent to not involve a police unit from across the
city line."

Webb said he wasn't sure of the size of the marijuana grow op but
believed it was a commercial operation.

Luong, he said, lived at the home with his mother, brother and
sister.

One witness to the aftermath of the shooting said she heard a woman
screaming that her brother had been shot.

Some neighbours say they have long suspected suspicious activity at
the house, noting people were often coming and going.

Webb also said investigators aren't getting much help from people who
have affiliations with Luong, including his family.

"The associates that we have to talk to are not being overly
co-operative," he said.

While police believe Luong was associated to a gang, Webb said it's
unclear the nature of his affiliation.

"Were saying he's associated to the gang," Webb said. "They don't send
us a membership list and so trying to figure out exactly who's who in
the zoo and how they fit together and things change all the time."

The Southern Alberta Marijuana Investigative Team has busted a good
number of grow-operations in Chestermere in recent years.

"Exactly why more are showing up in Chestermere is not easy to say,"
Webb said.
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