Friends, family and members of the community showed up to pay their respects at a vigil for Kulwinder Singh Sohi, a stabbing victim who died after he was attacked Tuesday night (April 23).
The attack, which came just two nights after a non-fatal stabbing attack in the same area along the White Rock promenade, east of the city鈥檚 iconic pier and white rock, has left the community shaken, according to those who showed up to pay their respects.
鈥淚t鈥檚 shaming. It鈥檚 shaming that no one cares about him on that Sunday incident,鈥� Sohi鈥檚 brother, Gurleen Singh Sohi, said at the vigil, referring to the fact he thought more could have been done after the Sunday stabbing incident.
鈥淭hey should announce the Amber Alert for that man 鈥� and he鈥檚 still out there somewhere.鈥�
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A friend of the family also spoke, saying the Sohis had sent their sons to Canada for a better life, and now, they don鈥檛 want Gurleen to come back (to Canada, after travelling back to India, where the family hopes to be able to perform last rituals in his hometown).
Trevor Halford, MLA for Surrey-White Rock, spoke at the sombre vigil, punctuated with the occasional train and kite surfers whizzing past in the background.
鈥淲e鈥檙e broken. This is a community that I鈥檝e lived in my entire life, and I can tell you people are, are scared, they鈥檙e frustrated and they鈥檙e angry, and I鈥檓 all those things as well right now,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 think we as a community, we鈥檙e gonna come through this. This person needs to be caught and put where they deserve, that鈥檚 behind bars, and we need to get justice for this young man.鈥�
White Rock Mayor Megan Knight also spoke at the gathering.
鈥淲e are just devastated in our community. Like I was telling the family today, this doesn鈥檛 happen in White Rock. And were trying to find out who did this in our community.鈥�
She empathized with the family about their loss and said the community is there to support them with whatever they need.
Reaction from the public has been mixed, the mayor said.
I鈥檓 hearing 50/50 鈥� some are like, they don鈥檛 want to come to the beach. Others are like, 鈥楲et鈥檚 go down to the beach and support local businesses.鈥� But other people are like, 鈥楴o, this has changed me.鈥欌��
White Rock RCMP has increased their patrols of the city鈥檚 waterfront and are holding a town hall meeting about public safety in White Rock this Tuesday, April 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. at White Rock Community Centre, 15154 Russell Ave.
Knight noted the RCMP鈥檚 efforts and also added she has asked Halford to go to Victoria for support as well.
鈥淲e just have to make sure we have enough boots on the ground, 鈥� and if that also means putting more cameras around and things like that, then that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do.鈥�
