Sikh prayers blended with the piped strains of Amazing Grace as the young security guard killed on the job earlier this month was laid to rest with full first responder honours.
Hundreds gathered at an Edmonton funeral home Sunday to pay respects to 20-year-old Harshandeep Singh, who was shot and killed while patrolling a central Edmonton apartment building Dec. 6.
Singh’s loved ones were ushered into the room by an honour guard of police, peace officers, sheriffs and firefighters — who have claimed Singh as one of their own.
“We identify him as a first responder,” said Jerry Galliford, a provincial sheriff and president of the Alberta First Responders Association, which helped organize the memorial. “He may be a civilian member, but he’s on the front lines. He’s putting himself at risk. He’s a professional, and that’s how we identify a first responder.”
Galliford hopes Singh’s death leads to more recognition of the dangers security guards face.
“I hope that it does make some changes, because it’s necessary. I think I heard a stat that there are seven security officers for every police officer, which is a dramatic number.”
‘They’ve been in his shoes’
Singh came to Canada a year and a half ago in hopes of a better life for himself and his family. He studied business at NorQuest College and hoped to become a police officer.
Gagandeep Ghuman, who delivered a eulogy on behalf of Singh’s family, called him a “beacon” of joy and positivity. Singh grew up on a farm in India’s northern Haryana state where he learned the values of hard work and humility. He carefully saved every dollar he earned in Canada, sending money home to his parents and sister.
Singh was shot and killed in a stairwell at 10603 107 Ave. early Dec. 6. Leaked security footage purporting to show his final moments shows a gun-wielding man shooting him in the back after shoving him down the stairs. Singh worked for National Security Guard Protection Services and had been on the job for just three days, a family spokesperson said.
Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, both 30, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. They remain in custody pending a bail hearing early next year.
Galliford was unsurprised by the identity of the accused. “When I was a correctional peace officer, I actually had the accused on my unit,” he said. “So I’m not shocked by this turn of events, but I am devastated. Everybody’s devastated.”
Thirty per cent of the first responders’ association — which began two years ago as a Facebook group — started their careers in security, Galliford said.
“They’ve been in his shoes. Some of our members have been in that building working security. So it hits deep.”
Attendees at Sunday’s memorial included first responders, fellow security guards, members of Edmonton’s Sikh community, Singh’s extended family and Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. Singh’s open casket sat at the front of the room flanked by garlands and flowers. Many wore Sikh head scarves, while uniformed first responders removed their caps as a show of respect.
Singh embraced the values of Sikhism, said Ghuman, including service, humility and integrity. He worked hard to balance his work and his studies and “embodied the spirit of so many young people who leave their homes in search of a brighter tomorrow,” he said.
Singh also represented the “best” of international students, Ghuman added, saying many such students have “been unfairly cast in a negative light,” with some claiming they have been scapegoated for Canada’s housing troubles.
In his spare time, Singh was a boxer, swimmer and aviation enthusiast who enjoyed building scale models. He also volunteered and went out of his way to support others, Ghuman said.
Singh’s mother and father were unable to come to Canada for Sunday’s memorial due to travel and visa difficulties, Ghuman said. A crowdfunding campaign raised more than $122,000 to cover funeral and legal expenses, including transporting Singh’s body back to India.
Building scene of previous shooting
The building where Singh was shot had a lengthy history of health and safety violations. It was also the scene of a shooting less than a month prior, which remains under investigation.
City police say a man was injured in a shooting at the apartment early Nov. 21. He was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, EPS spokesperson Carolin Maran said in an email.
Police requested the City of Edmonton review the property’s business licence earlier this year, she added.
A spokesperson for Alberta Occupational Health and Safety, meanwhile, confirmed it conducted an inspection of the apartment with Singh’s employer on Sept. 9. No orders were issued as a result of the inspection, the agency said.
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