Sikh organization calls for hate crime probe in fatal shooting near Leduc, Alta.

A national Sikh advocacy group is urging police to examine whether a fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man near Leduc, Alta., was motivated by hate.

In a statement, the World Sikh Organization of Canada said Birinder Singh was killed on March 14 while travelling on Highway 2, south of Edmonton. According to the organization, occupants of a pickup truck opened fire on Singh’s vehicle in what it described as a daytime, unprovoked attack. Singh died at the scene.

The group is calling on the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit to investigate the killing as a potential hate-motivated crime. Police have not publicly confirmed a motive or whether the case is being treated as a hate crime.

WSO president Danish Singh said the circumstances of the shooting are “deeply troubling” and should be examined in the context of what the organization describes as a rise in anti-Sikh incidents across Canada. He also alleged that broader anti-immigrant rhetoric and disinformation campaigns have contributed to safety concerns within the Sikh community.

The organization is urging anyone with information about the shooting to contact police. It is also encouraging members of the Sikh community to report incidents of hate to both law enforcement and its own reporting portal.

Connect Newsroom contacted the Alberta RCMP for confirmation of details, including the status of the investigation and whether hate motivation is being considered. No response was received by publication time.