Canadian law enforcement has said the killing of an Indian citizen on March 14 was not racially motivated.
The murder of 22-year-old Birinder Singh in Alberta was deemed as a racially motivated hate crime by community organisations. But, while also announcing a second arrest in the case, the Alberta detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP refuted that belief.
During the course of a press conference in Edmonton on Wednesday, RCMP Major Crimes Staff Sergeant John Brown said, ““I can tell you with certainty, our investigation has shown this is absolutely not racially motivated.”
He added that the angle had been investigated “very thoroughly” before coming to that conclusion.
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On March 24, police announced that 18-year-old Jimmy Gassner, a resident of Lloydminster, was arrested in Canoe Lake in the province of Saskatchewan and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the homicide.
On Wednesday, police said Deon Libsekal, 23, driver of the truck with Glassner as a passenger, was arrested and also charged with second-degree murder.
“I can say that our victims were true victims that had no criminal history. But our suspects had a criminal history,” Staff Sergeant Brown said. Whether the murder was caused by mistaken identity is among the motivations for the crime being probed, as he added, “I can’t say that it’s completely random, but the victims are completely random.”
On March 14, just before 3 pm, a pickup truck pulled up beside the vehicle that Singh was driving. A weapon was discharged, resulting in Singh’s death. Singh and his friends were on their way to the Canadian Rockies, which the victim had never visited.
The Investigation is being conducted by the Alberta RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit.
Despite the laying of 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 or GTA before moving to Edmonton, the capital of Alberta.
Two close friends were in the car being driven by Singh, 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 were 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.
