An 18-year-old man has been arrested by Canadian police in connection with the murder of 22-year-old Indian national Birinder Singh in Alberta on March 14, when the victim was going with two friends to the resort of Banff to see the Canadian Rockies.
The Alberta detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced on Monday that it had “arrested and charged an individual in connection with this incident”, adding that the investigation remains ongoing. The teenager was identified as Jimmy Gassner, a resident of Lloydminster. He was arrested in Canoe Lake in the province of Saskatchewan on Saturday and charged with second-degree murder and is being transported back to Alberta.
On March 14, just before 3 pm, a pickup truck pulled up beside the vehicle that Singh was driving. A weapon was discharged towards the vehicle, resulting in Singh’s death. The investigation is being conducted by the Alberta RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit.
“Despite these charges, we know that there will be many questions regarding suspects and motivations,” Staff Sergeant John Brown of the Unit, said in a statement. There have been charges that the killing was a hate crime motivated by Singh’s race. Those have yet to be substantiated by investigators, and Brown added, “Please understand that our ability to answer these questions is limited while our officers continue their important work.“
Singh arrived in Canada three years ago as an international student, and first lived in Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) before moving to Edmonton, the capital of Alberta.
{{/usCountry}}Singh arrived in Canada three years ago as an international student, and first lived in Brampton in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) before moving to Edmonton, the capital of Alberta.
{{/usCountry}}Two close friends were in the car that Singh was driving, and in interviews to Canadian media, they said that two men in the truck made a sign to them and then fired on Singh. Nether of those friends was identified, but one of them told the outlet CTV News that it could have been due to his “brown skin.”
“It’s not road rage, nothing like that. Still, we got shot. So we can say that it’s a discrimination, kind of,” he said. In a statement on March 18, India’s Consulate in Vancouver expressed grief over “the tragic killing.” “We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. The consulate stands firmly with the bereaved family and is extending all possible assistance,” it added.
An online fundraiser to transport his remains back to India raised over CA$ 25,000.