Family spokesman says slain Edmonton security guard had only been working 3 days

Edmonton -

A spokesman for the family of a security guard who police say was murdered while patrolling an Edmonton apartment building last week says the man had only been on the job for three days.

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Gagandeep Singh Ghuman says Harshandeep Singh was from Haryana state in northern India. He came to Canada a year and a half ago on a student visa and was enrolled at NorQuest College in the city.

Ghuman, who is not related to the family, says Singh's aunt and uncle live in Winnipeg, but have travelled to Edmonton because of the tragedy and are dealing with "an unimaginable loss," while his parents both live in India.

Police say Singh, 20, was unresponsive when he was located by officers responding to a report of a gunshot inside the downtown building at around 12:30 a.m. Friday and he died later in hospital.

They announced Saturday that Evan Rain, 30, and Judith Saulteaux, 30, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in relation to Singh’s death, adding a weapon was located during the arrest.

A court appearance for the pair has been set for Wednesday.

Police say they believe no one else is involved in the killing.

Investigators also say a photo circulating on social media claiming to be of Evan Rain is not actually a photo of the accused.

"Edmontonians are rightly outraged by this tragic incident," EPS Staff Sgt. Rob Bilawey said in a news release on Monday. "Posting or sharing incorrect information during an ongoing investigation impedes the process and disrespects the victim and their loved ones." 

Police say detectives continue to investigate what led up to the shooting and are asking anyone with information to contact them.

An autopsy conducted Monday found Singh died of a gunshot wound.

A GoFundMe that has been set up to help cover the costs of sending Singh’s body back to India for his last rites, as well as assist with funeral expenses and legal costs, had raised over $120,000 by Monday afternoon.

"It's something that puts you in a very confusing state of anger, sadness, and something that cannot be put in words," Ghuman said in an interview about the death.

"His father, he's still not accepting this news," he added. "They haven't really shared the news yet with his mother and elder sister."

National Security Guard Protection Services says in a Facebook post that the guard in Friday's incident worked for them. The post says they are devastated by the event, but are unable to comment on an active police investigation.

"We have been working with law enforcement to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice. Our deepest condolences go out to Harshandeep Singh's friends and family," the post states.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi tweeted condolences Sunday for Singh's grieving family, friends, colleagues and community members.

"Acts of violence like this undermine our shared values of compassion and community," the mayor's post said.

The tragedy also drew the attention of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who posted on social media that he was "horrified by the cold-blooded murder."

"He was yet another victim of the violent wave of crime that has risen across our country over the last nine years," Poilievre posted Sunday on X.

"My thoughts are with his family, friends and all who knew him."

Ghuman said that from what he's heard, Singh was only hired about a week ago. He wonders about how much training security guards receive or if they know about the reputations that certain neighbourhoods have.

"My parents used to tell me, hey, be cautious of this area. If somebody attacks you or if somebody wants your phone, somebody wants your money, just give them everything and walk away and do not argue," Ghuman said.

"But the newcomers to Canada, they don't have that training and I don't know if anything is really provided to them."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2024.