Sarnia police have identified 22-year-old Gurasis Singh, an Indian international student studying business at Lambton College, as the victim of a fatal stabbing in a rooming house on Queen Street. The accused, 36-year-old Crossley Hunter, has been charged with second-degree murder and remains in custody.
In a statement, Sarnia Police Chief Derek Davis said, “Members of the Sarnia Police Services Forensic Identification Services have processed the crime scene, which has now been released from police control. This complex investigation is ongoing as we continue gathering evidence to determine the circumstances and potential motive behind this tragic event.” He added that authorities do not currently believe the crime was racially motivated.
Police reported that Singh and Hunter, who shared accommodation at the same rooming house, were involved in a physical altercation in the kitchen early on Sunday morning. During the incident, Hunter allegedly accessed a knife and stabbed Singh multiple times.
A post-mortem examination confirmed Singh’s identity, and his family has been notified. Sarnia police have assured that they are working closely with Lambton College to provide support for Singh’s grieving family and friends.
Lambton College expressed profound sorrow over the loss of their student. “Students are at the heart of Lambton College, and the loss of a student is a tragedy of the highest magnitude,” the college said in a statement. They are coordinating with Singh’s family on funeral arrangements and repatriation while providing counselling services for the college community.
Fellow student Kawalpreet Singh Mann called for increased safety measures and better housing conditions, telling the LondonFreePress, “Gurasis came to Canada full of dreams and aspirations… Let his name and tragic story spark the change we desperately need.”
Meanwhile, an online fundraiser has been launched to assist Singh’s family with funeral costs and the repatriation of his body to Punjab.