SURREY - As many as 50 homicide investigators are hunting for Maple Batalia's killer but they have not yet identified a suspect or determined if the Simon Fraser University student was shot by someone she knew, or by a stranger.

"We need to determine did this 19 year-old girl know her attacker or attackers? We don't have that answer," Sgt. Peter Thiessen, a spokesman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, told reporters Thursday. "We're operating under the premise this was quite likely a targeted attack. We don't know that for a fact."

Thiessen said police have spoken to "persons of interest" in the case but he wouldn't provide details.

"We are getting information that is helpful from a variety of sources."

Batalia died of multiple gun shot wounds on the third-storey of a parkade behind the Whalley campus shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Don MacLachlan, SFU's director of public affairs, said the university is reviewing its security policies but added that "no amount of security" could have prevented Wednesday's murder. Had a security guard been in the area at the time, he said, "we would've had two victims, not just one."

That said, MacLachlan said SFU's administration is advising students who are planning on pulling a late or all-nighter at the Surrey campus to check in with a security guard.

tzytaruk@thenownewspaper.com