Second Suspect Charged in Fatal Alberta Highway Shooting
A second and final suspect has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the March 14 shooting death of 22-year-old international student Birinder Singh on Queen Elizabeth II Highway near Leduc, Alberta. The arrest marks a significant development in a case that has shocked the community.
Police Rule Out Hate as Motivation in Senseless Crime
Staff Sgt. John Brown of the Alberta RCMP major crimes unit provided an update on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, stating that investigators have found no evidence to suggest the attack was motivated by hatred or racial bias. Brown emphasized that the incident appears to have been a spontaneous event rather than a planned attack.
"Our investigation to this point has shown there's been no interaction until they were driving beside each other," Brown explained. "This probably occurred and became an incident within two minutes."
Timeline of the Tragic Incident
The sequence of events unfolded rapidly on the afternoon of March 14:
- At approximately 2:50 p.m., witnesses observed a grey 2022 Ford F-150 pickup truck pull alongside a 2012 Honda Civic near Township Road 490
- Both vehicles were traveling southbound on Queen Elizabeth II Highway at speeds around 120 km/h
- Moments after what witnesses described as an exchange of peace symbols between the vehicles, two shots were fired
- The pickup truck sped away while the Civic pulled over to the side of the road
- Police arrived to discover Singh, who was driving the Civic, had been fatally shot
Suspects and Victims Had No Prior Connection
Brown confirmed that the suspects and victims had no previous knowledge of each other before encountering one another on the highway. The victims, including Singh who was on a leisure trip to Banff with friends, had no criminal history according to police.
"I can say that our victims were true victims that had no criminal history, but our suspects have a criminal history," Brown stated, though he did not provide specific details about the suspects' backgrounds.
Arrests and Charges
The latest arrest occurred on March 26 when RCMP took Edmonton resident Deon Elias Libsekal, 23, into custody. Libsekal was already detained on unrelated matters at the time of his arrest. He faces charges of second-degree murder and accessory after the fact.
Libsekal was scheduled for a court appearance on Wednesday at the Alberta Court of Justice in Leduc. This arrest follows the earlier apprehension of another suspect in the case, bringing the total number of individuals charged to two.
Investigation Continues Despite Ruled-Out Motives
While police have eliminated several potential motivations including robbery, road rage, gang initiation, and racial hatred, the investigation remains active. Brown acknowledged public speculation about the senseless nature of the crime but described it as a "one-off" event.
"I am limited to what I can say at this time, but what I can say is that the RCMP do have some understanding of the motivations in this case," Brown noted, while declining to elaborate further on what those motivations might be.
The RCMP has not completely ruled out possible gang connections for the suspects, though Brown emphasized that hate or racial bias played no role in the attack that claimed the life of the young international student.
