The World Sikh Organization of Canada say the shooting death of international student and former Brampton resident Birinder Singh (pictured) could have been a mate-motivated attack. (Photo: Retrieved from Facebook)

The World Sikh Organization of Canada say the shooting death of international student and former Brampton resident Birinder Singh could have been a mate-motivated attack.

Singh died in what the WSO is calling an “unprovoked” attack, where he was shot while driving near Leduc, south of Edmonton.

The 22-year-old international student had recently moved to Alberta from Brampton, and was reportedly on a road trip with friends on Highway 2 on the way to Banff when a Ford F-150 pulled alongside their vehicle.

That’s when someone inside the truck opened fire, striking Singh in the neck, according to reports.

The former Brampton resident managed to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road. And while paramedics arrived to assist, Singh died of his injuries at the scene. The RCMP hasn’t laid any charges in connection with Birinder’s death, but say the grey 2022 Ford F-150 has since been recovered.

The WSO says Singh “was beginning to establish his life in Canada,” and called his death “a sudden, unprovoked act of extreme violence.”

“Given the current rise in anti-Sikh hate we are seeing, it is critical that investigators and the RCMP examine whether Birinder Singh was targeted because of his Sikh identity,” WSO President Danish Singh said in a release.

Danish said Sikhs are being “repeatedly targeted and demonized,” including by white nationalist groups promoting anti-immigrant hate, and by “coordinated disinformation campaigns” originating from India “that seek to vilify and dehumanize Sikhs in Canada.”

“We are seeing a dramatic increase in poisonous and hateful narratives targeting Sikhs,” Danish said, adding “this environment has created real risks for our community.”

“When communities are repeatedly targeted and demonized, it increases the likelihood of acts of violence such as this. This must be taken seriously by law enforcement and government,” Danish said.

READ MORE: New bill improves public safety in Mississauga, Brampton and across Canada

Sikh and South Asian Canadians across the country have been the target of extortion in recent years, some leading to violence and shootings.

An internal RCMP report found the Indian-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang – recently declared a terrorist organization in Canada – is linked to extortion threats and murders in Canada, and is “acting on behalf” of the Indian government.

Earlier this month, a senior official told Canadian journalists that India had stopped such behaviour, but Prime Minister Mark Carney would not say whether he agreed.

Carney’s government has been under pressure to clarify whether it believes India is still engaged in foreign interference, and the Globe and Mail has published a report about the alleged role Indian consular staff played in the murder of a Canadian Sikh activist three years ago.

The Liberal government’s Bill C-22 has introduced new rules around lawful access to information and is intended to help police forces and security services organizations, such as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

Back in August, the Canadian Border Services Agency began monitoring immigration enforcement cases possibly linked to the growing number of extortion incidents in western Canada targeting members of the South Asian community.

The probe was expanded to the Greater Toronto Area in November, and some 372 immigration investigations and 70 removal orders have been issued, the CBSA says.


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