Latest news with #JerdaineFoster
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Hamilton police make arrest in murder of innocent bystander
Harsimrat Randhawa, a 21-year-old international student from India, was fatally struck by a stray bullet while waiting for a bus in Hamilton on April 17. An arrest has been made in the shooting death of a Mohawk College student who police say was caught in the crossfire of a 'violent altercation' in Hamilton that involved multiple vehicles. At around 7:30 p.m. on April 17, police said Harsimrat Randhawa, a 21-year-old international student from India, was fatally struck by a stray bullet while waiting for a bus near the intersection of Upper James Street and South Bend Road. Police said the victim, who was not involved in the altercation, had just left a local gym and was heading home when she was hit by a single bullet during an exchange of gunfire between two groups. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, police said shortly before the gunfire erupted, a dispute had broken out in the area. 'It had been going on for a few minutes and then had culminated with the shooting that happened when she arrived there,' Acting Det.-Sgt. Daryl Reid told reporters Thursday. On Aug. 5, police said 32-year-old Jerdaine Foster was arrested in Niagara Falls in connection with the deadly shooting. He faces one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. 'Investigators know that there were at least seven people involved in this argument, this dispute, that resulted in the death,' Reid added. He said investigators are still working to identify the other suspects who were there that day. 'The investigation is still ongoing and we will do everything in our power to identify, locate, and arrest all of these people that are involved,' Reid said. 'We do believe there are more people out there with information that we need to know.' The accused, Reid noted, has ties to Halton, Hamilton and Niagara, and moved around though short-term rentals in the regions. Police would not provide any information about what may have led to the dispute between the two groups. 'The motive behind that dispute, that is a major part of the court process,' Reid said. With files from the Canadian Press
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Second arrest made in gunfight that led to death of innocent bystander in Hamilton: police
Hamilton police identified 21-year-old Harsimrat Randhawa as the victim who died in a shooting on April 17. (Hamilton Police Service) Police say a second arrest has been made in connection with a gunfight that led to the death of a 21-year-old Mohawk College student who was struck and killed by a stray bullet while waiting for a bus in Hamilton. Police previously said Harsimrat Randhawa, an international student from India, was fatally struck by a stray bullet while waiting for a bus near the intersection of Upper James Street and South Bend Road at around 7:30 p.m. on April 17. Police said the victim had just left a local gym and was heading home when she was hit by a single bullet during an exchange of gunfire between two groups. On Thursday, police announced that 32-year-old Jerdaine Foster was arrested and has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deadly shooting. Investigators also said Thursday that they are searching for several other suspects who were involved in the shooting that led to Randhawa's death. Police announced Friday that a second arrest was made in the case. A 26-year-old man, identified by police as Obiesea Okafor, was arrested in North York and transported back to Hamilton. He has been charged with three counts of attempted murder. Police have not released names or descriptions of the other suspects but say at least seven people were involved in the dispute that night.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
2nd man charged in shooting death of international student Harsimrat Randhawa: Hamilton police
A second person has been arrested and charged in the shooting death of 21-year-old international student Harsimrat Randhawa, an innocent bystander, Hamilton police say. Obiesea Okafor, 26, was located in North York on Thursday, police said in a news release Friday morning. Okafor was transported back to Hamilton and has now been charged with three counts of attempted murder, reads the release. Randhawa, from India, died in hospital of a gunshot wound after she was hit by a stray bullet while standing near a bus stop at the intersection of Upper James Street and South Bend Road on April 17. She'd just gotten off the bus and was waiting to cross the street when she was struck. At a news conference Thursday, police said Jerdaine Foster, 32, was arrested in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Tuesday. He was charged with three counts of attempted murder. Foster has ties to Hamilton, Halton and Niagara regions, living in short-term rental properties, police said. At least seven people in four cars were involved in a dispute that led up to the shooting, police said at the news conference. "This investigation is ongoing, and detectives continue to relentlessly pursue all leads to identify and arrest those involved in this murder," police said in the release. Police say anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers.
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Arrest made in fatal shooting of Mohawk College student struck by stray bullet in Hamilton
Hamilton police identified 21-year-old Harsimrat Randhawa as the victim who died in a shooting on April 17. (Hamilton Police Service) An arrest has been made in the shooting death of a Mohawk College student who police say was caught in the crossfire of a 'violent altercation' in Hamilton that involved multiple vehicles. At around 7:30 p.m. on April 17, police said Harsimrat Randhawa, a 21-year-old international student from India, was fatally struck by a stray bullet while waiting for a bus near the intersection of Upper James Street and South Bend Road. Police said the victim, who was not involved in the altercation, had just left a local gym and was heading home when she was hit by a single bullet during an exchange of gunfire between two groups. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, police said shortly before the gunfire erupted, a dispute had broken out in the area. 'It had been going on for a few minutes and then had culminated with the shooting that happened when she arrived there,' Acting Det.-Sgt. Daryl Reid told reporters Thursday. On Aug. 5, police said 32-year-old Jerdaine Foster was arrested in Niagara Falls in connection with the deadly shooting. He faces one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. 'Investigators know that there were at least seven people involved in this argument, this dispute, that resulted in the death,' Reid added. He said investigators are still working to identify the other suspects who were there that day. 'The investigation is still ongoing and we will do everything in our power to identify, locate, and arrest all of these people that are involved,' Reid said. 'We do believe there are more people out there with information that we need to know.' The accused, Reid noted, has ties to Halton, Hamilton and Niagara, and moved around though short-term rentals in the regions. Police would not provide any information about what may have led to the dispute between the two groups. 'The motive behind that dispute, that is a major part of the court process,' Reid said. With files from the Canadian Press
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Hamilton police arrest, charge man with murder in shooting of international student Harsimrat Randhawa
Social Sharing Hamilton police have arrested a man and charged him with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 21-year-old international student Harsimrat Randhawa. Jerdaine Foster, 32, was arrested in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Tuesday, said acting Det.-Sgt. Daryl Reid at a news conference Thursday. He was also charged with three counts of attempted murder, Reid said. Randhawa, from India, died in hospital of a gunshot wound after she was hit by a stray bullet while standing near a bus stop at the intersection of Upper James Street and South Bend Road on April 17. She'd just gotten off the bus and was waiting to cross the street when she was struck. "Harsimrat was an innocent bystander," Reid said. "She was simply trying to make her way home from a local gym when she was struck and killed." At least seven people in four cars were involved in a dispute that led up to the shooting, said Reid. No other arrests have been made. He would not say the nature of the dispute or if police know their identities. "The investigation is still ongoing, and we will do everything in our power to identify, locate and arrest all these people that are involved in this death," Reid said. Accused known to police Foster has ties to Hamilton, Halton and Niagara regions, living in short-term rental properties, Reid said. He was previously known to police. At least two guns were involved and shots were fired between cars, he said. Chief Frank Bergen said Randhawa lost her life to "a senseless act of gun violence," as did 26-year-old Belinda Sarkodie in July. Sarkodie was waiting at a bus stop near James Street North and King Street West when she was shot and killed. Police issued a warrant for the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect who they said had intended to target another group of people when Sarkodie was struck instead. Police have not announced any arrest. On Thursday, Bergen described both incidents as "selfish, dangerous and the byproduct of criminal entitlement." Of the investigation that led to Foster's arrest, Bergen said, it was complex, taking five months, and a "much welcome outcome for our grieving communities." Randhawa was in her second year studying occupational physiotherapy at Mohawk College. At a vigil in the days after her death, her professor, Micheline Lancia, remembered her as a "very kind soul." "It's very, very overwhelming to see a student who was doing so well, gentle, respectful, a little bit timid — she would have been a beautiful health-care worker," said Lancia. "So, it's a loss to everybody."
