Community members pack meeting to talk about safety following killing of Brampton man
CBC
Members of the South Asian community packed a town hall meeting on Sunday to talk about public safety following the death of a Brampton man who was gunned down in Mississauga this week.
The killing of Harjeet Dhadda, 51, has sparked concerns about violence in the community.
Peel Regional Police say Dhadda was shot several times in a parking lot near Tranmere Drive and Telford Way, near Pearson International Airport, on Wednesday shortly before noon. Paramedics performed CPR before he was rushed to a local hospital, where he died.
Gurlin Dhadda, his daughter, called for justice for her father at the meeting at the Dixie Gurdwara, also known as the Ontario Khalsa Darbar. The gurdwara is on Dixie Road near Derry Road in Mississauga.
Growing violence, including gun violence, and rising crime rates are troubling the community, she told the gathering.
"We are here to ask: Who is responsible? Why is nothing done?" she asked.
"My father, Harjeet Singh Dhadda, was an honest man. He worked hard every single day and followed the law for the past 27 years. He was not only a loving father, but he was a pillar to this community," she said.
Gurlin said her father launched food drives during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide free meals to people in need, and helped many people start their trucking businesses.
"That was the kind of man he was — always giving, always serving," she said. "He did not deserve this. No family deserves the pain that we are going through."
Gurlin said the community needs to demand better laws and better protection to keep Canada safe.
"Today, it is our family. Tomorrow, it could be yours. We are not just mourning a life lost. We are raising our voices to demand justice and real change," she said.
In an interview after the meeting, Gurlin said her father received a call on Dec. 10, 2023, during which the caller demanded $500,000 and told Dhadda he would be killed if he didn't give them the money. The threat was reported to police. Security was provided for a week and later police patrolled around his office and house, but then it stopped.
On the social media platform LinkedIn, Dhadda is described as a commercial insurance broker.
Gurlin said the laws governing gun violence should be strengthened.
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