A 22-year-old student from Punjab, Birinder Singh, was shot while driving on a highway near Edmonton in what police describe as a random and deeply troubling act of violence. Singh was on a road trip last Saturday, heading to Alberta’s Rocky Mountains for the first time, when a bullet fired from a passing pickup truck struck him. The shooting occurred shortly before 3 p.m. near Leduc, just south of Edmonton.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), a grey pickup truck approached the Honda Civic Singh was driving. Someone inside the truck opened fire before fleeing the scene. Authorities later located the suspect vehicle, identified as a Ford F-150, but no arrests have been made.
Singh’s friend, who was in the car and asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said the attack left them shaken and fearful. “We feel really unsafe right now. Every time we go out, we keep checking the mirrors again and again,” he told CBC. “We used to hear back home in Punjab that Canada is very safe, but now it doesn’t feel that way.”
A devout Amritdhari Sikh, Singh moved to Canada three years ago as an international student. After completing a business degree in Ontario, he relocated to Alberta a few months ago, worked in construction and hoped to start his own business. On the day of the shooting, Singh and two childhood friends—who had known him for over 15 years—were travelling together toward Banff for a day off and sightseeing.
The friend said the encounter began when two men in the pickup gestured toward them. “We thought it was just a friendly wave, so we waved back,” he said. Moments later the truck sped up, then slowed to pull alongside them again. A shot was fired, shattering the rear passenger window; Singh was struck in the neck. Despite his injuries, he managed to pull the car over with help from his friends. Emergency responders arrived quickly, but Singh died at the scene. “He died in my arms,” his friend said.
Investigators say the motive remains unclear and there is no evidence confirming the attack was targeted, though all possibilities—including a hate-motivated crime—are being examined. The World Sikh Organisation of Canada has urged authorities to investigate the killing as a potential hate crime. Singh’s friend also suspects discrimination and said hateful, racist comments online since the incident have added to their pain. “We don’t know why this happened,” he said. “Why do they hate us so much? Are we not the same as everyone else?”
Friends remember Singh as quiet, hardworking and warm-humoured. “He enjoyed his own company, but when he was with us, he was really funny,” his friend recalled. Arrangements are underway to send Singh’s body back to India, where his parents are struggling to cope with the sudden loss of their only son.
