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  • February 11, 2025
Gunshot witness recalls the night Edmonton security guard was shot

Gunshot witness recalls the night Edmonton security guard was shot

“She says, ‘The guard is down on the ground,'” Comeau recalled.

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Tammi Comeau won’t soon forget the night Harshandeep Singh was murdered in her apartment building.

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The 20-year-old international student from India died in the stairwell of 10603 107 Ave., just three days into his new job as a security guard. early in the morning of Friday, December 6, 2024.

Comeau had just fallen asleep when a shot broke the silence.

“That was a gunshot,” her son told her. Alarmed, Comeau and her son hit the ground and Comeau called a neighbor. No answer: she was on a smoke break.

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“I went crazy,” Comeau recalled. She called 9-1-1.

‘I think I heard a shot. My son said it was a gunshot,” she told police. “Did someone else call?”

She suspected it might be nothing and told the operator she didn’t want to waste their time.

Then she looked up and down the hall.

Nothing. She hadn’t heard of running.

Then a neighbor down the hall asked if her husband was home and could he help?

“She says, ‘The guard is down on the ground,'” Comeau recalled.

“I called 9-1-1 again and talked to them on the phone,” she said.

The paramedics arrived and she watched as they worked to save the guard.

“Even before the video went viral, I knew he shot him in the back, I saw the entry wound.

“I noticed it when he was lying there. His cell phone was still in his hand, as he was lying on his stomach,” she said.

When she returned to her apartment, she saw stickers on him for the defibrillator.

“(The news) said he died in the hospital, but I’m pretty sure he was already gone.
she said.

The next day, police arrested Evan Rain, 30, of no fixed address, and Judith Saulteaux, 30, on charges of first-degree murder and possession of a prohibited weapon.

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Neither lived in the building where Singh was shot.

Rain was specifically not allowed in the 36-unit building, Comeau said.

“It was banned there,” she said.

But that didn’t stop him from staying there, she said.

“He just stays at people’s houses and just takes over,” she said.

He had a gun, a friend said.

Rain told her son he was in a motorcycle gang.

The building has 33 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units spread over three floors.

Comeau moved there during the summer, brought to Edmonton by her husband’s work in the construction industry, and to the apartment for its affordable rent and proximity to schools and services.

She soon discovered that there were people who were persona non grata – but that didn’t stop them from terrorizing the residents – including one armed with a machete who threatened her if she didn’t let him in.

“When I went in the front door I said I would be thrown out if I let anyone in.

“He said, ‘Go ahead and try to stop me.’ And he pulled out his machete.”

There were other problems with the apartment, namely cockroaches. And the air conditioning wasn’t working, Comeau said.

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The family is looking for a new place to call home. But memories of the night Singh died near the stairs of her apartment haunt her.

“I think I have a little PTSD. Every now and then, if I hear a big bang or something, I jump,” she said.

“I never realized what that was all about,” she said. “You have no control over your own body.”

First responders plan tributes

The Alberta First Responders Association (AFRA) is making plans to ensure Singh is not forgotten.

Just a few days before he was killed while making rounds at the facility, he was on the front lines as a security guard and therefore considered a first responder, AFRA President Jerry Galliford said.

“Although the security members are not ‘sworn’ members, they are on the front lines, they do respond to calls for service and they absolutely put themselves in harm’s way to keep their territory safe,” he said.

“Who is and who is not a first responder can be a hot topic. But if you are the first on the scene, you are by definition one,” Galliford told Postmedia.

“I have been working with the family and the employer to ensure that we can properly honor and celebrate the life of young Hashandeep Singh as a first responder who was killed in the line of duty. We are organizing an honor guard that will be represented by many different agencies such as corrections, sheriffs, police, EMS and many more,” he said.

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“I expect a large demonstration of uniformed members from across the province. I have also received many messages from across the country from security and law enforcement personnel wishing they could be present at the service and wishing us the best of luck in our efforts to bring this honor to Singh.”

The AFRA tribute is scheduled for Sunday, December 15 at noon at the Edmonton Crematorium and Funeral Home, 6403 Roper Rd. NW.

GoFundMe reaches $122,000

A GoFundMe account set up for Singh’s family by Gulzar Singh Nirman totaled more than $122,000 as of Tuesday evening.

“This senseless act of violence has left his family, friends and loved ones shattered and struggling to cope with this devastating loss,” Nirman wrote.

“His untimely death has left an unimaginable void in their lives, both emotionally and financially.”

The money will help cover the costs of returning Singh’s body to India and pay for funeral expenses, legal fees and other unforeseen financial issues.

“Harshandeep’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of how precious and fragile life is. As a community, we have the opportunity to come together and support his family in their time of need,” Nirman wrote.

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“Let us honor his memory by standing united and giving his family the support they need to heal. Thank you for your compassion.”

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