UBC Okanagan security guard who was killed identified as Harmandeep Kaur, 24 (updated on Thursday)

Harmandeep Kaur Photo: Facebook April 2018

THE UBC Okanagan security guard who sustained life-threatening injuries when she was allegedly assaulted at the university early Saturday morning and who later passed away at Kelowna General Hospital has been identified as 24-year-old Harmandeep Kaur.

Kaur had only recently received her permanent resident card. According to her Facebook page she was from Kapurthala in Punjab, India.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we are mourning the loss of one of our own,” Paladin Security said in a tweet. “She was an amazing person who worked hard to make the local community a safer place.”

Kelowna RCMP said on the weekend that their initial investigation suggested a man working at the university assaulted a security guard. He was arrested under the Mental Health Act. They said they were working with the university to investigate the alleged assault and that there was no risk to the public.

Kelowna City Councillor Mohini Singh told the media that she wanted to know why Kaur was working the night shift alone. She also wanted to know that if the alleged assailant had a mental health issue, why was he allowed to work at the university where there are so many young students.

The councillor said Kaur’s parents are arriving from India later this week.

On Thursday, local media reported that Kaur’s parents had arrived in Vancouver from India. Her parents were reportedly not informed about her death. They came here under the impression that their daughter was in serious condition.

A funeral service will be held at the Squamish Funeral Chapel and Crematorium on March 5 at 10:30 a.m. and will be broadcast live. A link will be shared through the Okanagan Sikh Temple’s Facebook page, Okanagan Sikh Temple President Amarjit Lalli told the local media.

Kaur’s body was to be transported to Squamish for the funeral. She has an uncle who lives in Squamish and her family will not be coming to the Okanagan, said Lalli.

Harmandeep Kaur
Photo: GoFundMe Page

A GoFundMe Page set up for Kaur said:

“Harmandeep, originally from Kapurthla, Punjab, India, came to Canada in 2015 with the dream of furthering her education by attending university and eventually becoming a paramedic. Her path towards fulfilling this dream had not been easy as she first studied at Columbia College in Vancouver and simultaneously worked to pay for school. Eventually, she found her way to Kelowna in 2018.
“Despite the challenges she faced as she tried to make her way in a new country away from her family back home in India, she always kept her positive attitude and determined spirit. And after years of struggle, she finally recently received her permanent residency in January of this year and was incredibly excited to have her parents come visit her this April.
“Despite the distance, she was very close with her family – especially her mother. And everyone that loved her, and continues to love her, experienced the generous support she would give to those around her, always ready to do anything that made the lives of her loved ones safer and happier. She loved fashion and styling her own wardrobe, spending time with friends while exploring Kelowna, and was endlessly fun, motivating, and loving.
“Since she was a child, Harmandeep was such a bright student and always excited to learn. She risked and lost her young life while patrolling the very grounds that she had hoped to one day walk as a student. There are no words to describe how much Harmandeep will be missed by her mother, father, and brother, as well as all of her extended family and friends.”
It added: “The money raised will be essential in helping her family with travel and funeral costs as well as potential legal costs as we pursue justice for Harmandeep.”

 

GoFundMe Page:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-harmandeep-kaur

 

MEANWHILE, Lesley Cormack, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UBC Okanagan, said in a letter to the campus community: “We are devastated that something like this would happen on our campus. My heart and my thoughts, and those of everyone at UBCO, go to the family.

“I understand that there will be many questions around this incident and we are working very closely with the RCMP and our partners to provide any assistance required in the investigation.

“There will be plenty of opportunity to try to understand the circumstances of this tragedy over the coming weeks but our immediate priority is to support the family and individuals affected.

“All of our security personnel are deeply valued members of our campus community. They work tirelessly every day to keep our students, faculty and staff safe and to be a welcoming, friendly and reassuring face when help is needed.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for our campus and I ask that we all respect the privacy and dignity of our community members.

“I also want to stress that this was an isolated incident that did not involve students and that does not pose an ongoing risk to campus safety.

“I also understand that many on campus will feel shaken by this news and I encourage everyone to seek out the support and services offered to students, faculty and staff.”