Canadian Teen Charged in Hate Crime Murder of Indian Student
Image Source: Internet
An 18-year-old man, Jimmy Gassner, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the killing of 22-year-old Indian national Birinder Singh in Alberta, Canada.
Singh, an international student who had been living in Canada for three years, was shot and killed on March 14 while driving with two friends to the resort of Banff to see the Canadian Rockies.
The investigation is ongoing, and while there have been allegations that the killing was a hate crime motivated by Singh's race, these claims have yet to be substantiated by investigators.
Singh's two friends, who were in the car with him at the time of the shooting, have spoken out about the incident, saying that two men in a pickup truck made a sign to them before firing on Singh.
One of the friends told Canadian media that it could have been due to Singh's 'brown skin', adding that it was not a case of road rage.
The Indian Consulate in Vancouver has expressed grief over the tragic killing and is extending all possible assistance to Singh's family.
An online fundraiser to transport Singh's remains back to India has raised over CA$ 25,000.
