Sources have told Global News that the person responsible for shooting and killing a well-known Edmonton homebuilder this week was Nick Dhaliwal, who was also found dead at the scene.
A family member told Global News that Dhaliwal was one of the two men who died at a south Edmonton construction site on Monday.
The family member said Dhaliwal had recently been treated in hospital for depression. They also said he was experiencing a lot of stress related to his work.
Police have said two men are dead and another man was injured when shots were fired at a construction site in southwest Edmonton at about noon on Monday.
The shooting occurred in a residential area near Cavanagh Boulevard Southwest and 30th Avenue Southwest.
Buta Singh Gill, the owner of Gill Built Homes Ltd., has been identified by friends as the homebuilder who died on Monday.
In an update Wednesday afternoon, police said an autopsy confirmed the 56-year-old’s cause of death was gunshot wounds. The manner of his death has been ruled a homicide.
Police said the other person found dead at the scene was a 49-year-old man who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The 51-year-old man who suffered serious, life-threatening injuries in the shooting remains in hospital, police said.
“No charges will be laid in relation to the homicide as the suspect is deceased. Homicide detectives are not seeking any additional suspects,” police said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.
Police added that investigators are looking into whether this crime has any connection to Project Gaslight, an extortion series targeting homebuilders from South Asian communities.
Before becoming a homebuilder, Gill worked as a bus driver for the Edmonton Transit Service. Among his colleagues at ETS was Amarjeet Sohi, who now serves as Edmonton’s mayor.
“It’s a devastating loss for the family and for the community,” Sohi said on Tuesday. “Him and his family worked so hard to set up a very successful business.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking.”
Dozens of friends and family could be seen going in and out of a home on Tuesday as they came together to grieve the loss.
“He was there to help everyone,” said Varinder Bhullar, a family friend who spoke to Global News outside the home. “I wish he would live with us for many, many years … no one can fill up his shoes.
“We will try to walk on the path that he has paved for all of us. It’s just too sad — heartbreaking. I just have no words.”
Global News has spoken with a relative of the man who was seriously injured in Monday’s shooting incident. They said the man is showing signs of improvement. Although he is still unable to speak, he is able to communicate by writing.
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