The Sikh Community of 鈥楤C鈥/Salish Land is claiming Sunday鈥檚 assassination of Guru Nanak Gurdwara president Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, in the temple parking lot was an 鈥渁ct of Indian government-orchestrated terrorism on Canadian soil,鈥 but homicide investigators have yet to identify a suspect or possible motive.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has not yet confirmed the victim鈥檚 name. It is holding a presser at the Surrey RCMP detachment building in Newton this afternoon.
鈥淎ny information I have I will be able to relay then,鈥 Sgt. Timothy Pierotti said.
Meantime, @BC Sikhs tweeted Sunday night that 鈥淲hat happened today is an act of war on Sikhs.鈥
Pierotti declined to comment on the tweet Monday morning.
The president of one of Canada's most prominent places of worship, a BC registered non profit society, was assassinated in broad daylight yesterday. This was an act of Indian government-orchestrated terrorism on Canadian soil.
鈥 The Sikh Community of 'BC' / Salish Land (@BCSikhs)
Police were called to the parking lot of the temple, in the 7000-block of Scott Road in Newton, at 8:27 p.m. and found the victim in his truck, suffering from 鈥渁pparent鈥 gun shot wounds. He died at the scene.
Surrey RCMP Staff Sgt. Tyner Gillies said police are looking for video footage.
鈥淎t this early stage of the investigation, any possible motives for the shooting are not yet known. Police are still working to determine possible suspect descriptions from multiple witnesses who were in the area,鈥 Gillies said. 鈥淪urrey RCMP is aware of social media posts that are speculating on the identity of the victim, but are not in a position to confirm the victim鈥檚 identity at this very early time.鈥
More to come鈥
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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