"We lost the main breadwinner of the family."
An Ontario man has been charged with murder in Edmonton’s first homicide of 2023, in which a case of mistaken identity left Barinder Singh dead and his daughter injured.
The shooting happened on January 1, 2023, at the Boardwalk Tamarack East and West townhouse complex in the Pollard Meadows neighbourhood of Mill Woods.
Police responded to a disturbance at around 2:45 am and arrived at the complex to find a 50-year-old man and his 21-year-old daughter injured.
His wife and other daughter were also at home at the time, but not injured.
The victim’s wife, Jasjeet Kaur, said:
“The whole incident comes in my mind every day. How they entered, how we ran.”
The family were asleep when they said the front door was smashed in and bullets began flying.
Barinder was rushed to hospital but died.
Referring to her daughters, Jasjeet said:
“We hide tears from each other. But I know they are sad.”
It was determined that Barinder died from gunshot wounds and the medical examiner concluded it was a homicide.
Jasjeet said: “Daily, we are struggling. We lost the main breadwinner of the family. He was our support.”
Barinder’s daughter was hospitalised with serious but non-life-threatening injuries after a bullet hit her shoulder, went through her body and out her back, leaving two wounds and three dislocated ribs.
Investigators determined the family were victims of a wrongly targeted shooting.
On February 14, 2023, a Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued for Tevahn Orr.
A month later, Hamilton police said they were seeking an assault suspect wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for multiple charges, including the Edmonton homicide.
Investigators said the accused was considered armed and dangerous and was also wanted by the Toronto police.
On March 21, Orr turned himself into the Hamilton Police Service.
He has since been transported back to Edmonton and is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent.
Jasjeet Kaur said she is relieved to hear an arrest has been made.
Shortly after her husband’s death, she called for justice.
Originally from India, the family moved to Canada a few years ago, first arriving in British Columbia before moving to Edmonton and settling into their townhome in Mill Woods.
Jasjeet said her husband worked at an Indian restaurant in the city’s Walker neighbourhood and was a quiet man who thrived on feeding others and making people happy.
The family said he would have turned 51 in April 2023.
Jasjeet intends to attend the court dates. She added:
“Why did we get a sentence? Why did Barinder get a sentence? Why did he get punished? For what? For nothing.”
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