RCMP have made an arrest in a highway shooting south of Edmonton earlier this month that left one man dead.
Three friends were headed to the mountains on the QEII on March 14, when a pickup truck pulled up beside their Honda Civic south of Leduc, near Township Road 490.
Two survivors of the shooting said a person in the truck made a hand gesture toward them, something resembling a peace sign.
They said their friend and the car’s driver, 22-year-old Birinder Singh, waved back, but moments later someone in the truck opened fire and a bullet struck him in the neck.
The truck sped off while Singh’s friends took control of the steering wheel and pulled the car over to the side of the highway.
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Passengers recount harrowing QEII drive-by shooting that killed their friend
On Tuesday, RCMP said Jimmy Gassner, 18, of Lloydminster was arrested in Canoe Lake, Saskatchewan on Saturday and charged with second-degree murder. The Canoe Lake Cree First Nation is about 200 kilometres northeast of Cold Lake.
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Gassner remains in custody and is being transported back to Alberta, where RCMP said future court dates will be determined.
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“Witnesses indicate that there was more than one suspect in that vehicle when the shooting occurred,” said Corp. Troy Savinkoff, a public information officer with Alberta RCMP. He added police are still searching for the other possible truck occupants.
“This investigation is still very much ongoing right now.”
Police are still trying to determine the motivation behind the shooting but have ruled out some theories.
“We don’t believe that the victim and the accused knew each other leading up to this event, so it wasn’t as part of a prolonged targeted incident that led to this,” Savinkoff said.
“It’s very, very tragic. A young man is dead and at this point, we’re not sure why.”
All three men in the car were friends from India, who now live in Alberta.
According to the two friends who survived, Singh moved from India to Brampton, Ont., three years ago as an international student and studied business administration before relocating to Edmonton in October.
Since then, Singh had been working in construction, installing siding. He was on his way to see the Canadian Rockies for the first time when he was killed. The friends spoke to Global News after the shooting under the condition of anonymity, fearing for their safety.
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Jaskaran Sandhu, president of the Alberta chapter of the World Sikh Organization, said he understands the matter is still under investigation and Mounties have told his organization that hate is being considered as a motivating factor.
Sandhu said everyone in the car was wearing a turban.
“Despite the laying of these charges, we know that there will be many questions regarding suspects and motivations,” said Staff Sgt. John Brown of the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit.
“Please understand that our ability to answer these questions is limited while our officers continue their important work.”
On Tuesday, Savinkoff said police could not yet release where the truck was found or another other details surrounding it, in order to protect the integrity of the investigation.
“I know there’s a lot of speculation that happens. Unfortunately, I can’t join some of that speculation,” Savinkoff said.
“We have to collect all of our evidence and then once charges are laid, and there’s a court process, then we can start talking about some of those details that led us to where we were.”
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RCMP did note tips from the public have helped in the investigation.
With files from Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
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