'A senseless and tragic loss of life': Friends and family remember Truro homicide victim

Truro residents shaken by homicide Small Nova Scotia town reeling after rare homicide over the weekend. Suzette Belliveau reports.

TRURO, N.S. — Friends and family of Prabhjot Singh are shocked and saddened as they try to make sense of what happened early Sunday morning in Truro.

“This is an absolute senseless and tragic loss of life,” says Truro Police Chief Dave MacNeil.

Police were called to an apartment building on Robie Street around 2 a.m. Sunday, where they found 23-year-old Singh with life threatening injuries.

He was taken to hospital where he later died.

“We executed several search warrants on the weekend and we did have a person of interest that was arrested shortly after,” explains Chief MacNeil. “However, they have since been released from our custody with no charges related to this homicide at this time,”

The town’s police chief says that the individual remains a person of interest in the ongoing investigation.

Singh worked two jobs in town, one as a taxi driver. His boss described him as a good person and a hard worker.

“He was supporting his mother in India, who is all by herself now,” explains Darlene MacDonald, Singh’s employer. “All she is going to have when he gets home is a coffin to bury. His father has been gone for a few years and he’s been helping support his mom.”

A GoFundMe has been set up in an effort to send his body home to India.

Singh’s loved ones say the 23-year-old came to Canada five years ago for a better life.

His friends spoke to CTV Atlantic, but asked to conceal their identities because they’re worried about their safety.

“He was very, very innocent and a very decent person,” explains one of the victim’s close friends. “He was struggling for his future, like we moved from India to here for our future, to secure our future.”

His loved ones are worried the attack was racially motivated, but they’ll wait to see what police determine.

“I have been in Nova Scotia for the last two years,” says another one of Singh’s close friends. “And I never thought in my dreams that I would lose one of my best friends like this.”

“We have no information on motive that we’re releasing right now at this point and time,” explains Chief MacNeil. “Should it become clear through our investigation that that is a motive or a factor in this case, then appropriate charges will be laid.”

The victim’s family and friends say they will continue to work with police during the investigation as they push for justice in Singh’s death.

The investigation is ongoing and police say there is nothing to indicate a risk to the public at this time.