CHANDIGARH: Punjabi singer and actor Ammy Virk had a narrow escape in Canada after a vehicle in his concert convoy was targeted and fired upon in Abbotsford, British Columbia, late on Saturday night shortly after he performed at the Rogers Forum.
The Abbotsford Police Department confirmed the shooting and said no one was injured.
At around 11 pm, occupants of an SUV allegedly opened fire on a car travelling through the 2500-block of McCallum Road.
Sources said the targeted vehicle was reportedly bulletproof and was part of the convoy connected to Virk’s show. It is alleged that the singer and the concert promoter were inside the vehicle. There were seven gunshots on the vehicle.
Local Canadian media reports have said the vehicle was a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and the bullets damaged the vehicle, particularly around the rear side.
But police have not identified any occupants or publicly confirmed that Virk was in the vehicle, citing privacy concerns.
The Abbotsford Police Major Crime Unit is leading the investigation and said that the initial indications suggest it was a targeted shooting. The police are trying to find out the motive.
Sgt Paul Walker of the Abbotsford Police said that they cannot comment on investigative details. "The investigation remains ongoing, and investigators continue to gather evidence and advance the case,” he said, appealing to anyone with information, including dashcam footage from the area between 10.45 pm and midnight on September 5, to come forward.
On the other hand, Virk's father Kuljit Singh has denied that any firing incident took place targeting the singer.
The police also responded to a separate report of a vehicle fire in the 2400-block of Sunnyside Place, about five kilometres from the shooting site, where an SUV was found completely engulfed in flames. Investigators are now examining whether the two incidents are connected.
The attack on Virk’s convoy comes against the backdrop of a string of shootings targeting Punjabi singers and actors in Canada in the last few years, including the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala in Punjab in May 2022 and a shooting outside actor-singer Gippy Grewal’s West Vancouver home in 2023.
Virk, known for films such as Angrej, Qismat and Laung Laachi, is among the leading names in the Punjab music and film industry.
No group had claimed responsibility for the attack on Virk’s convoy till the time of filing this report. He has not yet shared any official statement on this matter.
