Patiala: A drive-by shooting targeting a vehicle connected to a Punjabi concert tour in Abbotsford, British Columbia, has drawn conflicting accounts after the artiste’s family refuted media reports that he was under fire.

The incident occurred late on September 5 in the 2500-block of McCallum Road, hours after singer and actor Ammy Virk performed at the Rogers Forum.

Occupants of a dark-coloured SUV fired seven gunshots into a travelling vehicle before fleeing. Shortly after the shooting, responding officers located an SUV fully engulfed in flames in the 2400-block of Sunnyside Place, which investigators believe is connected to the attack.

Initial Canadian media and source reports indicated that Virk was travelling inside the bulletproof targeted vehicle along with his show’s promoter, whose father owns a Surrey-based Punjabi radio station previously targeted in a similar attack.

However, the artiste’s father, Kuljit Singh, has publicly denied that his son or his vehicle were targeted in the incident.

Speaking from Lohar Majra village in Patiala, Kuljit Singh said Ammy is safe, has no disputes with anyone, and that the gunfire was directed solely at the concert organiser’s vehicle rather than the singer.

While police have confirmed the shooting occurred and that no injuries were sustained, the Abbotsford police department has declined to confirm the identities of the occupants or whether Virk was present in the convoy, citing privacy protocols.

Based in Patiala, Karam Prakash is a Senior Correspondent with Hindustan Times, wherefrom, he covers the Malwa region of Punjab. With extensive reporting experience, he writes on a wide range of beats: health, agriculture, power, education, labour, governance and sports. His reporting focuses on public policy, grassroots issues and stories that impact people’s everyday lives. Before taking charge of the Malwa region, Karam had been part of The Tribune’s National Bureau, wherein he covered several Union ministries and parliament reporting on key policy developments at the national level. He also has significant experience in sports journalism, having covered major international sporting events, including the Olympic and the Commonwealth Games.Read More