As more people continue to speak out about the brutal fatal stabbing of an international Lambton College student, Sarnia police say they don’t believe race was a factor in the slaying.
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Gurasis Singh, a 22-year-old from India who was in his first year studying business management, was found stabbed to death in a rental house at 194 Queen St. in Sarnia on Sunday around 5 am following an altercation in the kitchen. Singh recently moved in and was among at least eight people, including three children – but is believed to be the only college student – who lived in the house’s four rented rooms.
Crossley Hunter, a 36-year-old Sarnia man who also was renting one of the rooms in the house owned by a London resident, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
In an update issued Tuesday afternoon, Sarnia police called it a complex, ongoing investigation, but one they don’t believe was racially motivated.
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“The Sarnia police criminal investigations division continues to gather all available evidence to determine the circumstances surrounding this criminal act and what, if any, motive may have existed that led to the murder of this young man,” Chief Derek Davis said in a statement.
In the wake of Singh’s death, several people on social media have pointed to issues of race while demanding changes to how international students are treated in Canada. But Davis took to the social media platform X Wednesday morning to remind the public they don’t believe race was a factor in Sunday’s violence.
“Sadly, outside agendas sometimes bubble up in tragic circumstances like this one. To directly address some of these rumors and misinformation, I reiterated: At this time, we do not believe this crime to be racially motivated,” he wrote. “We will continue to release factual information, as appropriate and available.”
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Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley issued a statement Wednesday, saying he was deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Singh.
“The entire community is mourning the loss of a young man who had a bright future ahead of him. Our thoughts are with the Singh family, his loved ones and friends and all of the international students and members of the Lambton College family,” he said.
According to an online fundraiser, Singh was Sikh and his family needs funds to get his body back to Punjab to complete final rituals. A spokesperson for the Sarnia Sikh Society said Wednesday they were meeting later that day to discuss holding a vigil later this week.
Bill Dennis, a Sarnia city councilor, said many international students who stay and work in the Sarnia area are hard workers.
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“It’s an absolute shame. It’s an absolute black eye,” he said Wednesday.
Also a local realtor, Dennis was asked if many college students, local or international, rent rooms in houses with non-students in that area of the city. He pointed out students who don’t know the city although may not be aware of where they’re agreeing to live. They also have different budgets, he said.
Fees for a spot in Lambton College’s residence for the 2024-25 school year range from nearly $9,000 to almost $12,000, while the college also lists information and links for other options for short-term, shared and long-term housing in Sarnia on its website. It also has a section on staying safe in Canada, with educational modules for international students on how to avoid being exploited and their housing rights.
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A Lambton College spokesperson didn’t respond Wednesday to questions about the housing situation for international students.
The college is also planning on building another residence, Dennis noted. As of August 2023, it was slated to open in 2027-28.
This is the second homicide investigation in Sarnia this year and also the second on Queen Street. Additionally, it’s the second tragedy involving international students in Lambton County in recent years.
Three teens from India studying at St. Clair College in Windsor died in a rollover crash in October 2019 near Oil Springs. The driver, Jovanpreet Singh, who was going more than 210 km/h while taking the group home from a late-night shift at High Park Farms cannabis greenhouses near Petrolia, was sentenced last year to two years in jail.
As for the Queen Street investigation, police said forensics officers released the house Tuesday afternoon. No one appeared home Wednesday and all that was left was a single strand of yellow police tape along a fence on the south side.
A black pickup truck, which a source said belonged to Hunter, was still parked in the driveway.
Hunter, who has been in jail since Sunday, is due back in court Friday.
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