BC Corrections officer killed in Delta case of mistaken identity, police say

A BC Corrections officer who was gunned down in broad daylight outside a Delta mall last May was mistaken for a gang member, according to police.

On May 1, 2021, Bikramdeep Randhawa was off-duty when he was shot and killed near the Walmart parking lot outside Scottsdale Centre in North Delta. At the time, police said the shooting death had all the markings of a targeted gang hit, but did not rule out a case of mistaken identity nor the possibility he was killed because of his profession.

On Tuesday, Delta Police said after “extensive interviews” and “over 300 follow-up tasks,” it now believes Randhawa was not the intended target.

“As a result of the evidence secured to date, investigators are confident that Mr. Randhawa’s murder was a result of mistaken identity. Investigators believe that Mr. Randhawa’s killers mistook him for an individual involved in the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict,” reads a statement from Delta police.

“Investigators are confident they have identified the suspects involved in this murder.”

The suspects’ names have not been released.

Sgt. Gary Koonar says police know who the intended target was and that person has been notified. However, he not could give details on which specific identifying factors led the shooter to mistaking Randhawa for his intended target.

In the weeks following Randhawa’s death, his parents came to Canada for their son’s funeral.

Speaking to OMNI Punjabi, Kuvuljeet and her husband Tharbajan Randhawa described the shock and heartbreak they felt after learning of their 29-year-old son’s death.

“Our relatives came to our house, it was a Sunday. They came over and told us. I called my other son and he tried to explain what happened, I just couldn’t believe it. My heart was in pain. We were mourning, our entire community was mourning,” Tharbajan said.

They said their son came to Canada as a child and they were proud he had the opportunity to pursue his passions, which included a career in law enforcement.

“We sent him to Canada for a better future, we thought there was a better chance for him to create a good future,” Kuvuljeet said.

Related:

• ‘I have no words’: Brother of Delta mall shooting victim speaks at vigil

• Parents of corrections officer killed in Delta mourn son, hope for justice

Delta Police say the investigation is active and “continues to be a priority.”

“It is not lost on the investigative team or the Delta Police as a whole the tragedy of seeing an innocent person caught up in the senseless violence of the ongoing gang conflict that cost a life,” Deputy Chief Harj Sidhu said.

If you have any information about this case, you are asked to call Delta Police or Crime Stoppers.

Editor’s note: The Randhawas spoke Punjabi during their interview with OMNI News. The quotes in this story have been translated into English. 

With files from Prabhjot Kahlon, Tarnjit Parmar, Eric Lai, and Lisa Steacy