Death of Edmonton security guard sparks call to review training, safety standards

The killing of a security guard in central Edmonton is raising questions about training and safety protocols of the job.

Harshandeep Singh died Friday after he was shot in an apartment building he was patrolling at 106th Street and 107th Avenue — a job he'd been working for just three days, according to a spokesperson for Singh's family.

Gagandeep Singh Ghuman said Monday that Singh took the security job because he wanted to build experience for a career in policing.

"You can imagine for a 20-year-old whose aspiration is to become a police officer one day, the first sight of knowing there's a possibility I can get this security job, he's going to jump as high as he can," Ghuman said.

"I hope this death is not going to be in vain. I hope there's more policies and procedures that come out of this to prevent such losses."

Singh was also enrolled in a business administration program at Edmonton's Norquest College, where flags were lowered to half mast in the student's honour on Monday.

Watch | Calls for improved security guard safety after Edmonton shooting death:

Surveillance videos circulating online appear to show the moments leading up to the shooting. A person holding a gun, accompanied by someone else, advances down an apartment hallway, yelling and cursing.

The pair appear to shove a man in a yellow jacket through a doorway into a stairwell, and as he starts to stumble down the stairs from being pushed, he's shot in the back. The two people then walk away down the hallway.

The Edmonton Police Service said in a statement Monday that the force is aware of the video, but won't comment on it while the investigation continues.

Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, both 30, have been charged with first-degree murder in Singh's death.

EPS said that although the video shows another person present when the shooting happened, the force is "confident that only two individuals were involved in the shooting death."

Provincial Occupational Health and Safety officials are also investigating the incident.

Andrew Edwards told CBC News that he worked a security job three years ago in the same building where Singh was killed.