Stray bullet fired from car kills Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Canada

A stray bullet struck a 21-year-old Indian student in Canada when she was waiting at a bus stop on her way to work. The shots were fired by a car occupant. The incident is currently being probed by Hamilton Police, which said the homicide happened on Wednesday. 

The student has been identified as Harsimrat Randhawa, who was a student at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. The police said that she was an innocent bystander. 

In a post on X, the Consulate General of India in Toronto said on Friday, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Indian student Harsimrat Randhawa in Hamilton, Ontario." 

"As per local police, she was an innocent victim, fatally struck by a stray bullet during a shooting incident involving two vehicles. A homicide investigation is currently underway," the statement said. 

"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," it further added. 

In a statement, Hamilton Police said that at around 7.30 pm (local time), they received reports of a shooting near Upper James and South Bend Road streets in Hamilton. The police said that when they arrived, they found Randhawa with a gunshot wound to the chest. She was rushed to a hospital but succumbed. 

The investigators have collected a video and determined that a passenger of a black car fired at the occupants of a white sedan. Shortly after the shooting, the vehicles left the scene. 

The police said that shots from the shooting incident also entered the rear window of a residence nearby, where the occupants were watching television a few feet away.