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  • February 18, 2025
Indian Mission in Canada – India TV

Indian Mission in Canada – India TV

Pritpal Singh
Image source: TORONTO STAR Pritpal Singh

Ottawa: The Indian mission in Toronto, Canada, on Wednesday expressed shock over the killing of a 26-year-old Indian national who moved to the country five months ago, saying it was providing all possible assistance to the relatives. Canada’s Peel Regional Police identified the man shot in the driveway of a Brampton home last week as Pritpal Singh of India, the Toronto Star newspaper reported Tuesday, adding that a police official also said investigators believed it was was a targeted attack and that they were investigating a possible connection with another shooting incident around the same time.

Peel police spokesman Richard Chin said on Monday that Singh and another man were shot outside a home on Odeon Street, near Concorde Drive, just after 11.30pm on December 4. “We are shocked by the cold-blooded shooting of a young Indian national, Mr. Pritpal Singh in Brampton. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. All possible assistance is being provided to the relatives in this tragic loss. May the departed soul rest in eternal peace,” the Indian Consulate General in Toronto wrote on X.

Who was Pritpal Singh?

Pritpal had moved to Canada as an international student five months ago and was living with his brother, Khushwantpal Singh. Both were preparing to start plumbing courses at Humber College next month, CBC Toronto reported.

The Toronto Star newspaper said police found Singh with multiple gunshot wounds and administered life-saving measures, but he died at the scene. The second man was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the report said. A day after the shooting, Sergeant Jennifer Trimble said investigators believed it was a targeted attack and were looking into a possible connection to a shooting in Caldeon that happened about 30 minutes later. No one was injured in the second incident, which happened at a home on Centerville Creek Road in Brampton.

Chin said Monday that investigators believe the shootings are related and are working with Ontario Provincial Police. “The investigation is still active and we will not be releasing any other details at this time,” he said. While police did not explicitly state what the connection was between the two shootings, the report said property records show the owners of the Brampton home where Singh was killed own another property on Centerville Creek Road in Caledon.

The attack video goes viral

The violent shooting appears to have been captured in a graphic video circulating widely online, the newspaper said. The footage shows two men clearing snow from a gray vehicle in the driveway, moments before another vehicle – a white four-door sedan – pulls up next to them.

Two people exit the vehicle and begin shooting as the two men try to flee in the driveway. One of the two victims runs away towards the house, while the other falls to the ground. Meanwhile, CBC Toronto identified the man who survived the shooting as the brother of Pritpal Singh, who said he believes they were the victims of mistaken identity. Khushwantpal Singh told CBC Toronto from his hospital bed that they were both outside clearing the snow from their car when they were attacked.

He said he was shot in the arm while his younger brother was shot several times at close range. He reiterated that he believes he and his brother were not the intended targets, saying, “We never did anything wrong. I am innocent and my brother was innocent.”

(With input from the agency)

READ ALSO: 20-year-old of Indian descent shot dead in Canada, CCTV footage of attack surfaces