A hitman who fired seven rounds through the window of a Richmond restaurant four years ago, killing alleged money launderer Jian Jun Zhu and injuring another diner, has been sentenced to life in prison.
The trial heard that on Sept. 18, 2020, Richard Reed shot and killed Zhu among a group of a dozen diners at Manzo Japanese Restaurant.
Reed told associates after Zhu’s murder that his intended target was alleged money launderer Paul King Jin, who was also injured in the shooting and was seen on security video being helped to a vehicle by others.
Jin attended the trial presided over by B.C. Judge Jeanne Watchuk, who has since retired. Watchuk convicted Reed in September 2024 of first-degree murder for the contract killing, as well as two related firearms offences.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Alan Ross, who took over from Watchuk for sentencing, made the ruling on Jan. 14. It was posted online Monday.
In B.C., first-degree murder comes with a mandatory sentence of life in prison with a mandatory minimum for parole eligibility of 25 years. The judge also accepted Crown recommendations for the firearms offences that added 10 years to the sentence, minus just over a years’ credit for time served in custody.
Court heard at trial that Reed had cased the restaurant for hours, waited until after sunset, then fired the fatal shot through a large window. The other six were fired through another window largely at random to empty the Norinco .45 calibre gun of all its ammunition. The gun was found in Reed’s rental suite during a search more than two months later.
The sentencing hearing heard that Reed, who is now 26 years old, already had a lengthy criminal record before the hit, including convictions for four assaults, one on a police officer, as well as a robbery, five convictions for uttering threats, and a conviction for sexual interference with a minor. He was on probation for three earlier convictions at the time of the murder.
Although the defence chose not to submit a pre-sentencing report related to Reed’s difficult upbringing and race — he is Black, and was brought to Canada from the U.S. at the age of one by his mother — his lawyers argued they should be considered in sentencing. The judge agreed.
Reed “has had little contact with his father,” said the judge. “He was subjected to violence as a child and ultimately was placed in foster care. His formal schooling ended at Grade 9 when he was (about) 13 years old. He has been diagnosed with ADHD, possible bipolar disorder, and with a number of other psychological conditions. He was a difficult child in foster care, and he was also introduced to negative societal elements while in care.”
The defence concedes Reed had an extensive criminal record resulting in several years in jail, but noted he “has reconciled with his mother and built a positive relationship with her.” His lawyers also say “some of Mr. Reed’s poor decisions in the past have been reactive to incidents of racism and bigotry directed toward him. I accept that submission.”
The defence did not suggest these experiences should reduce his sentence, only that they are mitigating factors along with his relatively young age.
The only point of contention between the Crown and defence was whether the two firearms offences should be served consecutively or concurrently to each other. The defence argued the discovery of the murder weapon more than two months later was a continuation of the same crime, so those sentences should be concurrent.
The judge sentenced Reed to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 25 years, six years for firing the weapon, and four years for being in possession of the gun during the subsequent search. All sentences will be served concurrently.
Although Reed isn’t eligible for parole until April 21, 2049, the judge agreed he could apply for a reduction in parole ineligibility after 15 years. Reed must also agree to provide a DNA sample and is banned from owning weapons for life.
With files from Kim Bolan