(Image source from: x.com/HamiltonPolice)
A 21-year-old student from India lost her life after being inadvertently caught in a shooting between two groups in Canada. According to Hamilton Police, Harsimrat Randhawa was at a bus stop when a stray bullet hit her during the altercation that involved two vehicles. Enrolled at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, she was en route to her workplace at the time of the tragic event. Randhawa is the fourth Indian national to pass away in Canada within the last four months. The Consulate General of India in Toronto expressed that she was an innocent bystander who was “fatally struck” by the bullet.
"We are profoundly grief-stricken by the tragic loss of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa... As indicated by local authorities, she fell victim to random gunfire during a shooting between two cars. A homicide investigation is currently in progress. We are maintaining close communication with her family and providing them with all necessary support," stated a tweet from the Consulate. Hamilton Police reported that the shooting took place at the intersection of Upper James and South Bend Road. They discovered Randhawa suffering from a gunshot wound to her chest and swiftly transported her to a nearby medical facility, where she later passed away. Surveillance footage from the area captured an individual in a black vehicle firing at the people in a white sedan. Both cars fled the scene following the gunfire. Additionally, police noted that nearby homes were also impacted by the gunfire, resulting in bullets breaking a window; fortunately, no injuries were reported.
This incident follows a series of three separate killings involving Indians in Canada over the past four months, prompting the Indian government to advise its citizens to be vigilant amid rising hate crimes and violent acts in the country. On December 1, 2024, Gurasis Singh, a 22-year-old postgraduate student from Ludhiana in Punjab, was fatally stabbed at his rented home. Another Indian student, also 22 and from Punjab, Rittika Rajput, died when a tree fell on her during a late-night gathering with friends; authorities are investigating this incident. Furthermore, on December 6, Harshandeep Singh, a 20-year-old of Indian descent working as a security guard, was shot and killed by a gang in Edmonton.
