A 21-year-old Indian student, Harsimrat Randhawa, tragically lost her life after being caught in a crossfire between two groups in Canada‘s port city of Hamilton.
According to Hamilton Police, Randhawa was waiting at a bus stop when a stray bullet struck her during a shooting involving two vehicles.
Randhawa, a student at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, was en route to work when the incident occurred.
The Mohawk College student becomes the fourth Indian national to have died in Canada in the past four months.
The Consulate General of India in Toronto expressed its sorrow over the incident, confirming that Randhawa was an innocent bystander when she was fatally struck by the stray bullet.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa… As per local police, she was an innocent victim, fatally struck by a stray bullet during a shooting incident involving two vehicles. A homicide investigation is currently underway. We are in close contact with her family and are extending all necessary assistance,” the consulate tweeted.
Hamilton Police reported that the shooting occurred near Upper James and South Bend Road. Randhawa was found with a gunshot wound to her chest and was rushed to a hospital, where she later died.
CCTV footage revealed that a passenger in a black car opened fire at the occupants of a white sedan, and both vehicles fled the scene after the shooting. Police also noted that the bullets hit a nearby residential window, though no one inside was injured.
Four Months, Four Fatalities
This incident follows a series of deadly events involving Indian nationals in Canada over the last few months.
In December 2024, three Indians were killed in separate incidents.
On December 1, 22-year-old postgraduate student Gurasis Singh from Ludhiana, Punjab, was fatally stabbed at his rental home.
In the same month, another 22-year-old student from Punjab, Rittika Rajput, died when a tree fell on her during a bonfire.
On December 6, 20-year-old Harshandeep Singh, an Indian-origin security guard, was shot and killed by a gang in Edmonton.
The recent string of deaths has raised concerns about the rise in hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, with Indian authorities urging vigilance.
(With inputs from IBNS)
