Slain Edmonton security guard remembered as generous, selfless

More than 250 people poured into a funeral home on Sunday to honour the life of slain security guard, 20-year-old Harshandeep Singh.

Singh was pronounced dead at a hospital after officers found him in a stairwell while responding to a reported gunshot inside an apartment building earlier this month, police said.

The business student, who had just moved to Canada 1½ years ago from India, was killed on his third day on the job.

Two people have been charged with first-degree murder in his death: Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux, both 30 years old.

The president of the Alberta First Responders Association, Jerry Galliford, organized an honour guard for Singh. He said about two dozen members took part to pay tribute to Singh. 

"He's a civilian member, but he's also a first responder. He's on the front lines. He's putting his life at risk. So we wanted to make sure that we honoured him," Galliford said Sunday.

Galliford said that so many people wanted to participate in the honour guard that they had to turn some folks away. 

Many people in the association told Galliford that they started out in security, so Singh's death hits home for a lot of people, he said. 

"This one was very emotional. I can't pinpoint why, probably because of his age and the severity of the murder. But we're a band, we stick together and we have each other's backs," Galliford said. 

Family spokesperson Gagandeep Ghuman said at the funeral that Singh was "generous and selfless," and always willing to help friends and family out. 

"He was deeply rooted in the values of hard work, humility and perseverance," Ghuman said, noting that Singh came from a farming family. 

"He sought education and opportunities not only to build a better future for himself, but also to uplift his family and help them achieve greater opportunities."

Ghuman said that despite their financial challenges, Singh's family supported his journey to Canada, which speaks "volumes about their unwavering love and dedication" to him. 

His body is set to be taken home to India.

Other Edmonton security company declined job

Barry Sharkey told CBC News on Saturday that the building owner had tried to hire Sharkey's private security firm this summer. 

After two assessments, Sharkey recommended two men and a dog patrol the building 10 times a day. Sharkey said he quoted a price to the building owner, and he didn't want to pay, so Sharkey told him to find somebody else.

"A brand-new guard with three days on the job shouldn't have been in there by himself. He shouldn't have been there. And most people with my experience will tell you that flat out," Sharkey said. 

Sharkey said he wants the Alberta government to address firms that take cheap jobs which could put guards in danger, and to revamp the province's security training courses by working with existing companies on best practices.

The building owner declined comment.