Hamilton police have apprehended an individual and formally accused him of first-degree murder in connection to the fatal shooting of 21-year-old international student Harsimrat Randhawa. Jerdaine Foster, aged 32, was taken into custody in Niagara Falls, Ontario, as announced by Acting Detective-Sergeant Daryl Reid during a press briefing on Thursday. Foster faces additional charges of three counts of attempted murder, according to Reid’s statement. Randhawa, a student from India, tragically succumbed to a gunshot wound in a hospital after being struck by a stray bullet while waiting near a bus stop at the corner of Upper James Street and South Bend Road on April 17. She had just alighted from a bus and was standing by to cross the road when the incident occurred.
Describing Randhawa as an innocent bystander, Reid explained that she was merely trying to return home from a nearby gym when the fatal shot was fired. The altercation that led to the shooting involved at least seven individuals in four vehicles, Reid revealed, without disclosing further details or confirming if the identities of those involved were known to the authorities. He emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts being made to apprehend all individuals linked to the incident.
Foster, who has ties to the Hamilton, Halton, and Niagara regions and has been known to law enforcement previously, resided in temporary rental accommodations, Reid noted. The altercation involved the use of at least two firearms, with shots being exchanged between the vehicles, he added. Chief Frank Bergen lamented Randhawa’s death as a result of a “senseless act of gun violence,” echoing the sentiments expressed following the killing of another victim, Belinda Sarkodie, in a separate incident in July.
Bergen condemned both incidents as reflective of “selfish, dangerous behavior driven by criminal entitlement.” The investigation leading to Foster’s arrest was described as intricate and lengthy, spanning five months, with Bergen underscoring the closure it brings to the affected communities. Randhawa, who was pursuing a degree in occupational physiotherapy at Mohawk College, was remembered by her professor, Micheline Lancia, as a compassionate and promising student during a vigil held in her honor shortly after her untimely passing. Lancia expressed deep sorrow over the loss of a talented and gentle individual who had a bright future in healthcare.