International student killed by stray bullet in Hamilton 'was a child', uncle says at vigil

Dozens gathered successful Hamilton connected Sunday day to honour Harsimrat Randhawa, a 21-year-old planetary pupil who was killed by a stray slug portion waiting for a autobus conscionable days earlier.

Her family, joined by members of the community, held backmost tears arsenic they prayed and remembered a young pistillate they accidental came to Canada successful hunt of a "better future."

"I picked her up from the airport," said her uncle, Manbir Sandhu. "She was a child. She inactive looks similar a kid to me."

Randhawa, an planetary pupil from India studying astatine Mohawk College, was struck successful the thorax by a stray bullet  adjacent Upper James Street and South Bend Road. Hamilton constabulary accidental the shots were fired from a achromatic Mercedes SUV targeting different vehicle. The shots besides deed 2 homes nearby, but nary 1 wrong those homes was injured.

Police accidental she was not the people — simply an guiltless bystander caught successful the incorrect spot astatine the incorrect time.

Randhawa was going into her 2nd year studying occupational physiotherapy, Mohawk's president said.

Sandhu said erstwhile she wasn't successful school, she loved to navigator and play with her young cousin.

Her household says she often visited them connected agelong weekends. This past weekend, they were readying to prime her up. Instead, they are present preparing to nonstop her assemblage location to India.

Students who didn't adjacent cognize Randhawa personally expressed their grief astatine the vigil.

"It's conscionable truthful sad," said Daniela Fernandez Llamas, different planetary pupil astatine Mohwak. "She was conscionable waiting present to spell to work, and present she's gone."

Mohawk College's president, Paul Armstrong, besides spoke astatine the event, acknowledging the symptom rippling done the field community.

"It's astir an unbelievable feeling," Armstrong said. "Her faculty, her students, her chap assemblage members are conscionable shocked and upset and successful immoderate ways, disquieted for their ain safety."

'These guns person to go': Hamilton mayor

Hamilton politician Andrea Horwath addressed the crowd, calling for stronger measures to curb weapon violence.

"These guns person to go," she said. "We cannot person this benignant of unit successful our city, successful our community. Look astatine each the radical present — they're saying the aforesaid thing."

Police are inactive looking for suspects and are urging anyone with accusation to travel forward.

Randhawa's uncle says helium hopes her decease volition pb to change.

"She's not going to travel back, nary substance what we accidental oregon do," helium said. "But we request to instrumentality immoderate enactment truthful it doesn't hap again."