On 8th November, a gangster and his 11-year-old son were killed by unidentified assailants in Edmonton, Canada. Identified as Harpreet Singh Uppal, the gangster was suspected of being targeted by a rival gang outside an Edmonton gas station. Uppal was one of the high-level figures in the organised crime network in Canada. He was a member of the 3rd-Generation Punjabi bikers gang and had links to Punjab gangs. While Uppal was reportedly a known associate of Brothers Keepers, Police believe that the shooters belonged to the United Nations (UN) gang, a rival gang in the region.
Homicide Section investigating following southside shooting: The Edmonton Police Service
— Edmonton Police (@edmontonpolice) November 10, 2023
(EPS) Homicide Section is investigating the suspicious deaths of a man and a child following an early afternoon shooting in southeast Edmonton.
On Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, at approximately…
Uppal was facing several criminal charges, including cocaine smuggling. He was scheduled to face trial in April 2024. Usually, rival gangs do not target each other’s families. However, this time, Uppal’s 11-year-old son was not spared during the attack. Police officers said in a statement that they had come across several instances where rival gangs aborted shooting plans when a family member, especially children, were seen with the target.
Notably, there was another boy, a friend of Uppal’s son, in the car at the time of the shooting. Fortunately, he was unharmed in the incident. Acting superintendent Colin Derksen of Edmonton Police Service called the incident brazen while speaking to the media on 9th November. The Police said it was unclear if the shooters were aware of the presence of children in the car or not. He said, “But what we do know, sadly, is that once the shooter or the shooters learned that the son was there, they intentionally shot and killed him.” He further said that most gang members would agree that the shooting while children’s presence at the scene was “sick and twisted”.
The suspects came in a stolen 2012 BMW X6. The assailants later burned it in the north of Beaumont. So far, no arrests or identifications of the suspects have been made by the Police.
Uppal and his family were earlier targeted in 2021 when a gunman opened fire through the window of a restaurant where they were having a family dinner. Harsh Jindal, a getaway driver, was the only one charged in that case. However, the case against him was dropped in October of this year.
Alberta’s premier, Danielle Smith, expressed concerns that it might result in a rise in gun violence in the neighbourhood. The premier said, “With a heavy heart, I contemplate how it’s conceivable for a child to be killed in such a tragic manner like this. Like many of you, I am concerned with the rise in gun violence in our neighbourhoods.”
Staff Sergeant Rob Bilawey with the EPS Homicide Section said, “We are sad to report that a child lost their life today as a result of this violent event. The loss or injury of children as a result of gunfire is unfathomable, and we urge anyone with information that may assist this investigation to come forward as soon as possible.”
Multiple gangsters have been killed in Canada in recent times
This was not the first rival gang killing in Canada with links to Khalistani gangs. Earlier, Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by unidentified assailants outside a Surrey Gurdwara on 19th June this year. His murder resulted in diplomatic issues between India and Canada as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of killing Nijjar on Canadian soil in September this year. Interestingly, almost two months have passed since he accused India of the murder, but has failed to present any substantial proof of the same. However, it resulted in serious diplomatic consequences as India has already removed 41 out of 61 Canadian diplomats from the country and stopped Visa services for the Canadians.
On 21st September, Punjabi gangster Sukha Duneke was killed in Winnipeg. He had fled to Canada in 2017. He was a known associate of gangster-cum-Khalistani operative Arshdeep Dalla. Another gangster, Goldy Brar, took responsibility for Duneke’s murder. In a statement, Brar accused Duneke of killing his brother Gurlal Brar and said he took revenge for his brother’s murder by killing Duneke. Notably, Goldy Brar is also accused in the murder of controversial singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala, who was killed in his home village in Punjab in May 2022. Goldy is a known associate of the Lakhbir Singh Landa gang that has connections to Khalistani terrorists.
In July 2023, another Punjabi gangster, Karanveer Singh Garcha, was killed in Coquitlam, Canada. Police believe that the murder was linked to the murder of gangster Amarpreet Samra alias Chucky in Vancouver in May 2023.
On 14th July 2022, 1985, Air India bombing accused Ripudaman Singh was also killed in Canada.
Canada is known as a haven for terrorists, gangsters and most wanted criminals. Some well-established Punjabi gangs in Canada include Brothers Keepers, Dhaliwal Crime Family, United Nations, Dhak-Duhre gang, Independent Soldiers, Kang Crime Family, Malli-Buttar Coalition and others.
