WARNING: This story contains details that may be disturbing to some readers.
Tributes continue to grow for Harshandeep Singh, the security guard who was killed on the job last week east of downtown Edmonton.
NorQuest College held a vigil for the 20-year-old business administration student on Thursday.
A lineup of people waiting to lay flowers in front of Singh’s picture wrapped around the college’s atrium.
Amongst those paying their respects was business instructor Gayle St. Denis, who taught Singh this semester.
“He was a shy student, he was very quiet but throughout the course he started to open up a bit and was more comfortable speaking up,” she said.
She remembers he was a dedicated student.
“He was slated to graduate in May. This was his last year so it’s really unfortunate this tragedy occurred. We were really looking forward to his future success.”
Singh was from the Haryana state of northern India. He came to Canada a year and a half ago on a student visa, and family friends said he was working towards his dream job of being in law enforcement.
“Harshandeep actually just wanted to serve Canada,” said family friend Jas Panesar. “He had a dream for completing his studies, he was already undertaking his planning for joining the police force.”
Singh has an aunt and uncle in Winnipeg, but his parents both live in India.
Singh had just started working as a security guard — not an uncommon job for someone aspiring to be a police officer — and a spokesperson for his family said he’d only been on the job for three days.
“I remember my last conversation with him last week, he was very excited about his new job,” St. Denis said.
An honour guard of first responders is being planned for Singh on Sunday.
Final moments caught in security video
Security video appearing to show the final moments of Singh’s life, which Global News has not verified, has been circulating online.
It shows a man and woman coming down a hallway and the man pointing his weapon at the security guard.
The woman grabs Singh by his backpack and shoves him down a staircase. A gunshot is fired as Singh falls. He doesn’t get up.
Police said Singh was unresponsive when he was found by officers responding to reports of gunshots inside the apartment building around 12:30 a.m. Friday. He died later in hospital.
Criminologist Dan Jones, who teaches at the school the victim attended, is a former Edmonton Police Service officer and said the video is the worst he’s ever seen.
“I think it was the most demonstrably violent thing I’ve ever seen on camera and I’ve unfortunately watched multiple homicides on video,” he said.
“You see that escalation of violence and without any type of remorse. It was just a cold-blooded crime really.”
Jones said there needs to be a greater focus on re-integrating and rehabilitation of criminals.
“They are in and out of jail, therefore nothing is stable. We’ve done nothing to try to change their behaviour within the system,” Jones said.
Jones says most convicts do get out of jail but because of the past criminal history in this case, believes if convicted in the security guard shooting, the two accused would likely serve a longer sentence.
The Edmonton Police Service has acknowledged the video but won’t comment further.
Lengthy criminal histories
While three people were seen in the video, police said they’re confident only two are involved in the shooting.
Evan Chase Francis Rain, who turns 31 next month, and Judith May Saulteaux, also 30, have been charged with first-degree murder and possession of a prohibited firearm.
Both suspects have a extensive criminal history in Alberta going back more than a decade, but this is the first time they both have been charged in a homicide.
Rain’s rap sheet includes previous crimes ranging from multiple assault causing bodily harm charges, dangerous driving, shoplifting, plus illegal substance and firearms-related charges. Some of those crimes led to time served at a federal prison. His criminal history began a month after he turned 18.
Saulteaux has a shorter list stemming from 2013 when she was 19, and includes several different aggravated assault convictions.