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32-year-old man was charged with first-degree murder for the stray bullet that killed Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa, a Mohawk College student, at a bus stop in Canada.
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The man who fired the stray bullet that killed 21-year-old Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Canada has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder, an official said.
Hamilton Police apprehended 32-year-old Jerdaine Foster at Niagara Falls in Ontario on Tuesday. He has also been charged with three counts of attempted murder, CBC News quoted Acting Det-Sgt Daryl Reid as saying at a news conference.
Randhawa, a second-year physiotherapy student at Mohawk College, was struck by a stray bullet while standing near a bus stop at the intersection of Upper James Street and South Bend Road on April 17. She later died in the hospital from her injuries.
Reports indicate that Randhawa had just gotten off the bus and was waiting to cross the street when she was hit by the bullet.
The shooting stemmed from a dispute involving at least seven individuals in four cars. Shots were exchanged between the vehicles, with at least two firearms involved, according to the report.
“Harsimrat was an innocent bystander,” the report quoted Reid as saying on Thursday, “She was simply trying to make her way home from a local gym when she was struck and killed.” No other arrests have been made in the case.
“The investigation is still ongoing, and we will do everything in our power to identify, locate and arrest all these people that are involved in this death,” Reid said.
He added that Foster, who has ties to Hamilton, Halton and Niagara regions and lived in short-term rental properties, was previously known to police.
Soon after the incident in April, the Consulate General of India in Toronto issued a formal statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) expressing condolences and confirming coordination with Canadian authorities.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario,” the post read. “As per local police, she was an innocent victim, fatally struck by a stray bullet during a shooting incident involving two vehicles. A homicide investigation is currently underway.”
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