• Source:JND
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A 21-year-old Indian student was killed in a tragic accident after being hit by a stray bullet in a shooting incident in Hamilton, Ontario. The victim, Harsimrat Randhawa, was a student at Mohawk College and came from India. She was waiting at a bus stop on her way to work when the incident took place. Hamilton Police confirmed that the shooting occurred at approximately 7:30 PM along the intersection of Upper James and South Bend Road. Officers arrived at the scene to discover Randhawa with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead.

Randhawa was an innocent bystander who was caught in the crossfire between two cars that were involved in a targeted shooting, according to investigators. Surveillance video watched by police showed that a passenger in a black Mercedes SUV opened fire on the people in a white sedan. The white sedan allegedly drove northbound on Upper James Street, and the black Mercedes was allegedly heading westbound on South Bend Road.

Bullets Enter Home Next Door, No Further Injuries Reported

Police reported that stray bullets also entered the back window of a residence on Allenby Avenue, where people were sitting and watching television just a few feet from the area where the shootings occurred. No one inside the house was hurt.

The Hamilton Police Service has opened a full-scale homicide investigation and is calling for members of the public to contact them with any dashcam or security footage between 7:15 PM and 7:45 PM on the evening of the incident. "According to us, Harsimrat was not party to any altercation. She happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," said a spokesperson for Hamilton Police, further saying the investigation is continuing and no arrests have been made yet.

Indian Consulate in Toronto Offers Support

The Consulate General of India in Toronto offered condolences and said that they are in contact with Randhawa's family.

On a social media site X (formerly Twitter), the Consulate posted, "We are shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of life of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario. According to local police, she was an innocent bystander who was killed by a stray bullet when a shooting broke out between two cars. An investigation into a homicide is ongoing at present. We are in close touch with her family and are providing all requisite help."

Hamilton police have also urged the public to come forward as witnesses or contributors of video evidence. The general public is called upon to forward information to the police or send tips anonymously using Crime Stoppers.