Teens charged in shooting at B.C. home of Hardeep Nijjar associate

Bullet holes are seen in the windows of a home in the 2800 block of 154 Street in Surrey, B.C., after a Feb. 1, 2024 shooting. (CTV News)

Two teenagers have been charged in a shooting that reportedly struck the home of a Hardeep Singh Nijjar associate in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

A group advocating for Sikh independence raised concerns about possible foreign interference in the shooting because of the homeowner's reported ties to Nijjar, a prominent figure in the local Khalistan movement who was murdered last summer.

On Tuesday, the RCMP released a statement saying investigators "have not established any links to foreign interference in relation to this matter."

The shooting took place on 154 Street in Surrey in the early morning hours of Feb. 1, and was quickly described by local authorities as an "isolated incident" with an unclear motive.

No one was injured by the gunfire.

Surrey RCMP said their investigation led them to a home on 140 Street, where officers executed a search warrant on Feb. 6 and seized three guns and multiple electronic devices.

Authorities then arrested two 16-year-old boys in connection with the shooting on Feb. 12, and the B.C. Prosecution Service has since approved firearms charges against them.

The murder of Nijjar outside his Surrey gurdwara last June sparked fear within the Sikh independence movement, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced there was credible intelligence that India was involved in the killing.

The group Sikhs for Justice – which has organized a series of unofficial referendums on Khalistan independence – has called on Canadian officials to do more to protect critics of the Indian government.

With files from The Canadian Press