Homicide investigators say a third suspect was involved in the slaying of a Sikh leader outside a Surrey gurdwara in June.
The third suspect was seen in a silver 2008 Toyota Camry that was waiting on 121 Street for the other two suspects, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced at a news conference Wednesday.
Investigators had previously said they believed the two suspects met a getaway car after killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18.
Nijjar was found with multiple gunshot wounds outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. The two suspects, described only as “heavy-set men wearing face coverings,” were seen fleeing the scene on foot, heading south through Cougar Creek Park.
The suspects met up with the Camry near the intersection of 121 Street and 68 Avenue, IHIT said Wednesday.
Investigators released a surveillance photo showing the Camry at the intersection of 128 Street and 72 Avenue.
Investigators released a surveillance photo showing the Camry at the intersection of 128 Street and 72 Avenue. (IHIT)
IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Timothy Pierotti told reporters he had no additional information that he could release about the original two suspects Wednesday.
Similarly, he declined to share what police believe the motive for the shooting was.
In the aftermath of the incident, hundreds of people protested at the Indian consulate in Vancouver in late June, calling Nijjar’s death the result of “foreign interference.”
The protesters told The Canadian Press they are convinced the killing was linked to Nijjar’s active role in advocating for an independent Sikh state of Khalistan in India.
“I can’t share with you right now what our beliefs are regarding the motive,” Pierotti said Wednesday.
“We’re actively investigating, pursuing all those leads, and it is an ever-evolving investigation.”
In the two months since the killing, the Canadian Sikh community has been calling on the federal government to investigate the alleged political aspect of the homicide.
A group of Liberal Sikh MPs met with the federal public safety minister in the week after the shooting to relay the foreign interference concerns.
“We have conveyed the message of the gurdwara leadership, that this is what they are saying, that this is what the reason of the killing is and Marco Mendicino has clearly assured us that our law agencies will do everything to bring the truth out,” said Sukh Dhaliwal, the Surrey-Newton MP.
Members of the gurdwara said Nijjar gave a speech there just hours before his death, in which he said he had been warned by Canadian intelligence officials that his life might be in danger.
Pierotti urged anyone with information about the case or the Camry or its driver to call IHIT at 1-877-551-4448 or email [email protected].
With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Abigail Turner and The Canadian Press
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