Second accused charged for shooting Sikh man to death in Canada
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Jun, 2023 05:26 PM
Toronto, June 21 (IANS) A second accused has been charged with first-degree murder in a New Year's Day shooting that left a 51-year-old Sikh father dead and his 21-year-old daughter injured in Canada.
Daqwan Roshayne Howard Lee, 28, was arrested on Monday and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent, Edmonton police said.
Police said Barinder Singh and his daughter were "innocent victims of a wrongly targeted crime".
Lee is the second person charged in the shooting, after Tevahn Orr, 31, who was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant, turned himself in to the Hamilton Police Service on March 21.
Orr was also charged with first degree murder, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent.
On January 1, patrol officers responded to the report of a disturbance at a residence in the area of 16A Avenue and 38 Street.
Upon arrival, officers located an injured man and woman.
EMS responded, treated and transported Singh to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The 21-year-old woman was also taken to hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries and was later released.
A week later, the Edmonton Medical Examiner completed an autopsy on Singh and determined the cause of death to be gunshot wounds.
The manner of death was homicide.
Singh had moved from Punjab to Edmonton in 2019 along with his family.
The family told Global News the four of them were asleep when the front door was smashed in and bullets began flying.
"Somebody broke into the house," said Singh's wife Jasjeet Kaur.
"We all were sleeping and there was a number of gunshots."It's all like a nightmare for us," a shattered Kaur had said earlier responding to the tragedy.
A statement from bureau vice-president Aaron Sutherland says debris removal is starting on insured properties in the village, raising hopes that Lytton will "soon return as a thriving community."
Police in Saanich, B.C., near Victoria, say multiple people have been injured after an exchange of gunfire between suspects and police officers. Police are asking the public to avoid the area.
In B.C., the heat wave that pushed the mercury to the low- to mid-30s for three days has ended but severe thunderstorm watches are posted for the central and southern Interior.
The passengers of the vehicle were identified and released pending further investigation. The 25-year old female driver remains in custody on a number of firearms related charges and the investigation remains ongoing.
The vehicle, described as a Black Jeep Cherokee was travelling northbound on Boundary Road prior to the collision. The driver, and sole occupant was pronounced dead on scene.
The driver of the motorcycle has been transported to a local area hospital with serious injuries. Blundell Rd and No 4 Rd will be closed in all directions for an undetermined period of time.
