RCMP investigating the death of an international student in a daytime shooting on an Alberta highway say a possible motive for the killing remains unclear. 

A national Sikh organization is calling for the homicide to be investigated as a possible hate crime.

“Whether it would be hate motivated or not, our investigation remains the same. It’s a homicide,” Alberta RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff, an agency spokesperson, told CBC News Thursday. 

“It’s the worst type of offences that we investigate. But whether it was hate motivated or not, it’s not off the table.”

Birinder Singh, a 22-year-old student who moved to Edmonton from India, died near Leduc, Alta., last Saturday, after someone in a nearby pick-up truck opened fire on Highway 2, just south of Edmonton near Township Road 490. 

Police said, just before 3 p.m. MT, a pick-up truck pulled up alongside Singh’s car, then someone began shooting toward Singh in the driver seat. The truck, described as dirty white or grey, then sped from the scene.

Singh managed to pull over to the side of the highway as the other driver fled, but died from his injuries, police said.

An autopsy of Singh’s remains was completed Tuesday, but police declined to provide further details on his injuries or the number of shots fired.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) said its members are disturbed by the circumstances of the killing.

The organization, which promotes and protects the rights of Sikhs in Canada, has urged Edmonton police to explore whether the crime was motivated by discrimination. The statement noted that Singh’s death comes amid a rise of anti-Sikh hate nationwide, including targeted crimes and incidents.

“Given the current rise in anti-Sikh hate we are seeing, it is critical that investigators and the RCMP examine whether Birinder Singh was targeted because of his Sikh identity,” WSO President Danish Singh said in the statement. 

“When communities are repeatedly targeted and demonized, it increases the likelihood of acts of violence such as this. This must be taken seriously by law enforcement and government.”

RCMP continue to search for a suspect and investigate the chain of events leading up to the shooting, Savinkoff said.

He added that police are focused on gathering evidence and identifying who is responsible, regardless of their motive.

Singh’s family members could not be reached for comment. His brother has launched an online fundraising campaign to help pay to return Singh’s body to India.

RCMP urge witnesses to come forward

According to Savinkoff, witnesses have told RCMP that the suspect vehicle had been driving aggressively for some time before the shooting, and then “happened upon” Singh’s vehicle — a black 2012 Honda Civic.

Nothing so far suggests the two vehicles had a previous interaction on the highway before the killing, he said.

It’s unclear if the shooting was targeted, he added.

“We are looking at multiple possibilities, but the ultimate motive of this very tragic incident is still unknown,” Savinkoff said. 

The Alberta RCMP major crimes unit is leading the investigation and has asked for the public’s help to find the suspect vehicle.

Investigators are also still asking anyone who may have witnessed the shooting, or may have dashcam footage of the incident, to come forward. 

“With a busy highway that day out on the QEII, we know that there’s somebody — that there are people — with information,” Savinkoff said.

“Anybody who has that information who has not contacted police yet, please do.”