Tragedy struck Canada’s Indian-origin community once again as 20-year-old Harshandeep Singh, a security guard, was fatally shot by a gang in Edmonton on Friday. This marks the second violent death involving an Indian-origin individual in Canada within a week.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) reported that officers responded to a gunshot call at an apartment building on 107 Avenue around 12:30 a.m. Upon arrival, Singh was found unresponsive in a stairwell. Despite first-aid efforts, he was declared dead at the hospital.
CCTV footage circulating online reveals chilling details of the incident: one gang member pushed Singh down the stairs while another shot him from behind. Two suspects, 30-year-olds Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. A weapon has also been recovered, and an autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
EPS Homicide Staff Sgt. Rob Bilawey stated, “In this instance, we are releasing his name for investigative purposes and to address public safety concerns related to Mr. Singh’s death.”
This follows the December 1 stabbing death of another Indian-origin man, 22-year-old Gurasis Singh, a first-year business management student at Lambton College. Gurasis was killed in Ontario during an altercation with his housemate, 36-year-old Crossley Hunter, who has since been charged with second-degree murder.
The back-to-back incidents have left the Indian-origin community in mourning, highlighting concerns over safety and violence affecting immigrants in Canada.