Prominent businessman Darshan Singh Sahsi was killed in a fatal shooting in Abbotsford, British Columbia, according to police officials. The harrowing development took place right outside his house in the 31300-block of Ridgeview Drive on Monday morning in Canada.

His son, Arpan, has since also identified the 68-year-old as the clothing recycling business Canam International’s president, as per Canadian news outlet CBC.

The shooting was caught on camera in a home security video obtained by Postmedia. As per the now-available visuals, Sahsi was just getting into a dark truck, when a gunman got out of a car on the other side of the street, ran across and shot him.

Who was Darshan Singh Sahsi?

According to Satnam Singh Chahal, the executive director of the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), Sahsi was originally from Rajgarh Village in Doraha, Punjab. As a “self-made” entrepreneur, he ran a large clothing recycling business in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

A report by Vancouver Sun further detailed Sahsi’s story, revealing that he had immigrated to Canada in 1991 from Punjab. Back then, he launched his company, Canam International, with a small workforce. Meanwhile, Darshan Singh’s son divulged that his father had started out as a farmer before working on a cruise ship and ultimately coming to Canada.

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Sharing the devastating news via his X account, Chahal wrote, “At around 9:22 a.m., hardworking Punjabi businessman Darshan Singh Sahsi was tragically shot dead outside his home on Blue Ridge Drive in Abbotsford’s Townline area.”

Admiring the Indo-Canadian man’s contributions to the community, Chahal added, “His enterprise not only provided employment to many members of the local Punjabi community but also contributed significantly to the region’s recycling and sustainability efforts.”

He further noted that Sahsi had earned worthy praise for his philanthropic nature and community service. “Sahsi had strong ties to both Punjab and Gujarat, India, where he maintained major business interests and extended charitable support to several causes,” the NAPA official went on. “His leadership and generosity made him a respected figure across both continents.”

Punjabi journalist Gurpreet Singh Sahota, editor of the Charhdi Kala newspaper, had known the now-deceased entrepreneur for years, according to the Vancouver Sun. Describing him as a “very gentle person,” the journalist pal said, “He was a millionaire, a multimillionaire, but never showed off, and he was very helpful to the community.”

Offering more insight into the incident, Sahota revealed that Darshan Singh Sahsi was leaving for his work at the Maple Ridge plant, where he operated his business, Canam International, when he was shot.

Canada police on Indian-origin businessman’s shooting death

In a new release, Abbotsford Police noted that patrol officers “confirmed the incident was confined to a single parked vehicle on the roadway.” Affirming Sahsi’s age as 68 years, officials said that the entrepreneur was found in his car after the gunfire. At the time, he was suffering from life-threatening injuries. Sgt Paul Walker eventually disclosed that Sahsi succumbed to the injuries even though first responders tried to save him.

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With the investigation still being in its early stages, no arrests have been made as of now. A motive hasn’t been determined either.

In light of the fatal incident, three local schools in the vicinity were placed under a shelter-in-place protocol as a precautionary measure. Sgt Walker said that students weren’t harmed. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken over the investigation.

Sahsi’s fatal shooting comes to light at a time when anti-Indian sentiment in Canada has skyrocketed beyond control. On top of that, extortion cases have also been on the rise in certain regions that largely dominated by South Asian communities. So far, there is no evidence indicating that Darshan Singh’s killing was extortion-related.

This is an ongoing investigation.