HAMILTON — Two vehicles allegedly involved in the shooting that left an international student dead last week have been recovered, Hamilton police said Wednesday morning as the search for the perpetrators continues.
Harsimrat Randhawa, a 21-year-old Mohawk College student from India, was killed Thursday evening after police said she was struck by a stray bullet while waiting close to a bus stop near Upper James Street and South Bend Road.
Investigators believe shots were fired from a black Mercedes SUV towards a white Hyundai Elantra, both of which fled the scene after the shooting.
Police recovered the white sedan from a residential area in northwest Toronto on Sunday, and it was towed to Hamilton for forensic analysis. The black SUV was found in central Hamilton the next day, after officers executed a search warrant at a residence. It is also being searched for evidence.
Police said Wednesday they have "narrowed down" a list of people associated with the two vehicles, and they are encouraging those involved in the shooting to surrender themselves to police.
"We will leave no stone unturned until we find you," Det. Sgt. Daryl Reid of the Hamilton Police Service said at a news conference.
Police had initially said Randhawa was on her way to work, but Reid said Wednesday that the investigation has revealed that wasn't the case.
"We know that Harsimrat had recently attended a gym in the upper area of Hamilton," he said. "She had taken a city bus to that location and had been waiting to cross the street. This was when she was struck by a stray bullet."
Things happened so fast that the victim had "zero capability" to avoid the situation, Reid said.
"She had just stepped off a city bus, was waiting to cross the street from my understanding, and everything unfolded so quickly, she had no time at all to react."
Reid said the shooting took place at a busy time when traffic was heavy in the area. While some drivers have come forward to assist investigators, he said other witnesses who have not yet contacted police should do so.
Part of the investigation is to find out who was in each vehicle at the time of the shooting, said Reid.
"Knowing an owner is one thing, but knowing who's operating the vehicle and who's shooting the gun at the time that it is being used is a different part," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2025.
The Canadian Press
