Multiple bullets were fired at the apartment of an associate of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was slain on June 18 in Surrey, British Columbia, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported. The investigation regarding the incident is underway.
Confirming the incident, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on his official X handle stated: "Surrey RCMP is investigating a report of shots fired in the 2800-block of 154 St on Feb 1. Frontline officers located evidence consistent with a shooting. No injuries were reported. Anyone with info should contact police at 604-599-0502."
According to a spokesperson for the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council, the residence belongs to Simranjeet Singh, a friend of the dead pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Cpl. Sarbjit Sangha stated that cops remained in the area, spoke with neighbours and witnesses, and are presently studying CCTV video to learn more about the incident, as per CBC report. Nobody has been wounded in the incident.
A CBC News reporter who visited the property on Thursday afternoon discovered a vehicle extensively damaged by gunfire, as well as many gunshot holes in the house.
While speaking with media, Sangha stated that he is not aware of how many bullets were fired into the residence, and said police believe that the shooting was an isolated incident. "The investigation is in, still, very early stages so the motive of this shooting has not been determined as of this time," she was quoted as saying by CBC in its report.
Gurdwara's Council Alleges Indian Connection With The Shooting
According to Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the British Columbia Gurdwara Council, community members think that Simranjeet Singh's ties to Hardeep Singh Nijjar may have had a role in the shooting.
Nijjar was a vocal supporter of the Khalistani cause, a separatist movement that aims to establish a Sikh majority state in areas of northern India, CBC reported.
He was slain last year in a shooting in Surrey, which the federal government says was carried out by Indian government operatives. The Indian government has denied any participation in Nijjar's killing.
"[Simranjeet] feels like this is the Indian state, or their actors, that are playing their part here to kind of scare them off from ... the activism work that he's doing," he was quoted as saying by CBC in its report. He further claimed that the the "brazen middle of the night" attack almost took the life of Simranjeet's six-year-old child.
"I think it's just by the grace of God here that people made it out safely," he said.