Canada: Indian-origin man kills man after fight regarding vaping
An Indian-origin man allegedly stabbed a man to death outside a Starbucks cafe after a brief altercation in Vancouver, Canada. The incident was reported on Sunday at around 5:40 pm (local time) after which accused Inderdeep Singh Gosal (32) was arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of Paul Stanley Schmidt (37). Schmidt succumbed to the injuries in the hospital.
Deceased asked accused not to vape near his daughter
The police believe the individuals did not know each other. As per an eyewitness, Gosal went inside the cafe after stabbing Schmidt as people around were screaming in fear. Schmidt's mother Kathy said that he was at the coffee shop with his fiancee and daughter when the incident occurred. She claimed the argument began when Schmidt asked Gosal not to vape near his daughter.
Trigger warning: Gory scenes were caught on camera in real-time
Police trying to ascertain motive behind crime
Vancouver police spokesperson Sergeant Steve Addison said there was a significant amount of evidence describing what happened. He stated that the police are now investigating the cause of the incident. Addison also added that it may take some time for them to understand the events that transpired in the moments leading up to the murder and appealed for more witnesses to ascertain the motive.
Accused suspected to have pro-Khalistani links
Shortly after the incident, social media users alleged that Gosal is a supporter of the Khalistan movement, which demands the separation of the erstwhile state of Punjab as a Sikh ethnostate. They claimed Gosal attended the pro-Khalistani rallies in Canada outside the Indian High Commission.