A 22-year-old student from Punjab was shot while driving on a highway near Edmonton, in what police describe as a random and deeply troubling act of violence.Birinder Singh was on a road trip last Saturday, heading toward Alberta’s Rocky Mountains for the first time, when a bullet fired from a passing pickup truck struck him.The shooting occurred shortly before 3 p.m. near Leduc, just south of Edmonton.According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), a grey pickup truck approached the Honda Civic Singh was driving. Someone inside the truck opened fire before fleeing the scene. Authorities later located the suspect vehicle, identified as a Ford F-150, but no arrests have been made so far.Singh’s friend, who was in the car during the incident and has asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said the attack has left him shaken and fearful.“We feel really unsafe right now. Every time we go out, we keep checking the mirrors again and again,” he told cbc news.“We used to hear back home that Canada is very safe, but now it doesn’t feel that way.”The victim, a devout Amritdhari Sikh, had moved to Canada three years ago as an international student. After completing a business degree in Ontario, he relocated to Alberta a few months ago, where he worked in construction and hoped to eventually start his own business.On the day of the shooting, Singh and two childhood friends—who had known him for over 15 years—were traveling together toward Banff for a rare day off and sightseeing trip.According to the friend, the encounter began when two men in the pickup truck gestured toward them.“We thought it was just a friendly wave, so we waved back,” he said. “We didn’t know it would turn into this.”Moments later, the truck sped up, then slowed down to pull alongside them again. A shot was fired, shattering the rear passenger window of Singh’s vehicle. Singh was struck in the neck.Despite his injuries, Singh managed to pull the car over with the help of his friends. Emergency responders arrived quickly, but he succumbed to his injuries at the spot.“He died in my arms,” his friend said.Questions around motiveInvestigators say the motive remains unclear, and there is currently no evidence confirming that the attack was targeted. However, all possibilities—including a hate-motivated crime—are being examined.The World Sikh Organisation of Canada has called on authorities to investigate the killing as a potential hate crime. Singh’s friend also suspects the possibility of discrimination, noting that the group had no prior conflicts with anyone.“We don’t know why this happened,” he said. “Why do they hate us so much? Are we not the same as everyone else?”The friend added that reading hateful and racist comments online following the incident has made the situation even more painful.A life cut shortSingh is remembered by his friends as a quiet, hardworking individual with a warm sense of humor. He had dreams of building a better future in Canada and starting his own business.“He enjoyed his own company, but when he was with us, he was really funny,” his friend recalled. “Now our house is completely silent without him.”Arrangements are currently underway to send Singh’s body back to India, where his parents are struggling to cope with the sudden and tragic loss of their only son.