Burnt-out vehicle found minutes after fatal drive-by shooting

Ottawa police are looking into whether an abandoned vehicle destroyed by fire that was found on Rockdale Road early Saturday morning has anything to do with a gang-related homicide that took place less than an hour before.

The drive-by shooting that killed 22-year-old Levy Kasende, who is well known to the Ottawa police guns and gangs unit, happened at about 12:50 a.m. Saturday.

At 1:29 a.m., just 40 minutes later, someone driving by Rockdale Road off Highway 417 near Vars, Ont., called 911 to report a grass fire.

The grass fire was actually a burning vehicle.

Major crimes Staff Sgt. Bruce Pirt described it as an abandoned, "van-type vehicle" left "in the middle of nowhere."

He said police don't know if it's connected in any way to the shooting earlier that morning, where witnesses reported that someone inside an SUV fired multiple gun shots at Kasende, then fled.

Pirt confirmed Sunday that the homicide is related to gang activity.

Pirt said no suspects had yet been identified Sunday afternoon, and that no weapon had been found.

The investigation continues.