A 21-year-old Indian student died in Canada when she was hit by a stray bullet at a bus stop on her way to work during a shooting by a vehicle occupant.
Harsimrat Randhawa, a student at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, was identified as an innocent bystander in the now investigated shooting by Hamilton Police. The incident occurred on Wednesday.
The Consulate General of India in Toronto posted their condolences on X (previously Twitter) on Friday, saying, "We are shocked and saddened by the untimely passing of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario."
They also added, "According to local police, she was an innocent victim, who was killed by a stray bullet in a shooting incident between two vehicles. An investigation into the homicide is ongoing at present. We are in close touch with the bereaved family and are providing all required support. Our prayers and thoughts are with the grieving family at this moment."
The Hamilton Police said the shooting was reported at about 7:30 pm local time at the intersection of Upper James Street and South Bend Road. Officers arrived to find Randhawa with a gunshot wound to her chest. She was rushed to hospital but sadly succumbed to her injuries.
Police investigations, assisted by video footage, showed that one passenger in a black vehicle was firing shots in the direction of the occupants of a white sedan. The two vehicles promptly sped away from the shooting scene.
Bullets from the gunfire also broke through the rear window of a residence nearby where people were viewing television mere feet away. Fortunately, no one in the home was hurt, police said.
Officials are calling on anyone who has dashcam or security camera video between 7:15 pm and 7:45 pm in the area of the shooting to step forward and provide any helpful information that could aid in the current investigation.
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