Who is Harsimrat Randhawa, Indian student shot dead in Canada?

Twenty-one-year-old Harsimrat Randhawa was on their way to work, waiting at the bus stop in Ontario, Canada, when tragedy struck in the form of a stray bullet.

Miscreants fired a volley of shots from a car towards the general direction of the bus stop, and the young Indian caught a stray one. Randhawa was pursuing her studies at the Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario,” came the announcement from The Consulate General of India in Toronto.

Citing Hamilton police, the Indian consulate officials said that the student was an innocent victim of an unfortunate incident—fatally struck by a stray bullet in a shooting “involving two vehicles”.

“A homicide investigation is currently underway. We are in close contact with her family and are extending all necessary assistance. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family during this difficult time,” added the officials.

Local police statement puts the incident at about 7.30pm near Upper James and South Bend Road streets. By the time police reached the location, Randhawa was wounded with a gunshot wound to the chest. The student was immediately taken to a hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries.

Video evidence from the location helped police determine that the occupants of a white car were the target. A passenger opened fire from inside a black Mercedes SUV at the white sedan, and the Indian happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Both cars left the scene after the shooting.

Stray bullets also hit a residence nearby through its rear window. The residents were watching TV just metres away—they were lucky that no one was injured, unlike the student. Randhawa had extended family in Toronto.

”Harsimrat’s family sent her to Hamilton to prepare her for her future, and there is now an empty seat at their dinner table and an empty seat at her aunt’s house and her friend’s home,” Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen said about the incident while extending his condolences to the victim’s family. Mohawk College also came forward to extend their condolences to her family and friends.

Local police requested people in the area for footage from dashcams and security cameras near the site of the incident between 7.15pm and 7.45pm local time, or provide any information to help further the investigation.

Hamilton alone has seen two more shootings this year so far. On March 6, 2025, at around 4.20am, multiple shots were fired near the intersection of Highway No. 8 and Fruitland Road, leading to the death of 16-year-old Faizaan Awan. On the same day, by late evening, the Hamilton Police Service received a call about a person at his home on Wakefield Lane in Waterdown. Local police and Emergency Services, on arrival, discovered the victim, Dirk NYHUIS, deceased inside the residence from gunshot wounds.

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