'We need justice': Wife of Sikh man slain in Canada New Year day shooting
Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Jan, 2023 10:46 AM
Toronto, Jan 17 (IANS) The wife of a 51-year-old Sikh man, who was shot dead when intruders broke into his Mill Woods house in Canada on New Year, has said that she needs swift justice for her husband.
Barinder Singh, who hails from Punjab and had moved to Edmonton in 2019 along with family, was asleep when intruders broke into his house at Mill Woods Road and started firing, the Global News reported.
Police responded to a disturbance around 2.45 a.m., and arrived at the complex in the Pollard Meadows neighbourhood to find an injured 51-year-old man lying in a pool of blood.
"It's all like a nightmare for us," a shattered Jasjeet Kaur, wife of Singh, told Global News.
Singh was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The autopsy revealed that he died from gunshot wounds and the medical examiner said that the manner of death was a homicide.
"We need justice. I just want to know who did this. I need to know. Whya Why my family was the target? And it was not just him -- it was the whole family," Jasjeet Kaur told the Canadian news channel. "I want the culprits. I want to know the reason why it happened."
A GoFundMe page set up for Singh described him as an "honest, family man who worked hard to provide for his family".
"(He was) a devoted son, a good brother and a caring father -- he kept us going through good times and tough times. Through his work, he supported my grandparents in Punjab, while providing for us in Delhi, India," the page quoted his two daughters as saying.
Police said it is still working to establish a motive for this violent crime. So far, the homicide unit has found a burnt-out white Dodge Ram truck in the nearby Laurel neighbourhood, which they think is connected to the crime.
They are looking for home security and dashcam footage in the area where the burned-out truck was located.
On Wednesday, at 1:50 p.m., Surrey RCMP responded to 14100-block of 61 Avenue after a report of an altercation between two men. Upon arrival police found an adult male in medical distress. Despite all attempts by first responders to save the man’s life, he succumbed to his injuries on scene.
The passenger is described as a South Asian male, 6’0’ tall, medium build, approximately 35 to 40 years old, with a trimmed beard, and wearing a black jacket. There was no description provided for the driver.
The boys are described as approximately eight to ten years old. It is possible that they had a skateboard and a scooter and departed toward Menzies Street. The girl is approximately eight years old. the man involved in Friday’s incident at Portage Park is not believed to be related to a previous report of suspicious activity on Cedar Creek Drive.
Emergency Communications Professionals of BC said in a news release that staffing shortages have forced call takers to work "well beyond" their normal hours, which it believes is unsustainable. The temporary provisions are set to expire Sept. 21, while the added mental health supports end in December, the union said.
“Based on the information collected so far, there is no question the driver of the SUV knew he hit the dog and its owner,” says Constable Jason Doucette. “Luckily the owner suffered only minor injuries, but the loss of one-and-a-half-year-old Tobi has been devastating for the family.”
It says starting at the end of November 2023, Canadians will be able to call 988 to be connected to a mental health crisis or suicide prevention service, free of charge. The Public Health Agency of Canada will decide which group will provide the service, along with the scope of care it will offer.
