A candlelight vigil is being held Sunday afternoon in memory of 21-year-old Harsimrat Randhawa, an international student from India, who tragically lost her life after being struck by a stray bullet during a shooting in Hamilton on April 17.
Randhawa, a student at Mohawk College, was standing at a bus stop near Upper James and South Bend Road around 7:30 p.m., waiting to head to work, when gunfire broke out between two vehicles. She was hit in the chest and rushed to hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
The incident has left the community in deep shock and grief. In honour of her life and in a show of solidarity, friends, fellow students, and community members are gathering for a candlelight vigil to remember Randhawa and call for justice.
According to Hamilton Police, video footage shows that the passenger of a black Mercedes SUV fired multiple shots at a white sedan. The white vehicle fled northbound on Upper James, while the Mercedes sped westbound on South Bend.
One of the bullets also struck a nearby home on Allenby Avenue, piercing through the back window as the residents were watching television just a few feet away. Thankfully, no one inside the home was injured.
Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath condemned the violence, calling it a “senseless act” that has devastated the city. The Indian Consulate in Toronto also expressed deep sorrow over the incident, and Mohawk College President Paul Armstrong described Randhawa as a young student “full of promise,” whose loss is “extremely tragic.”
Police have launched a homicide investigation and are urging anyone with dashcam or security footage from the area between 7:15 and 7:45 p.m. to come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sergeant Alex Buck at 905-546-4123. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.crimestoppers.com.
