Three people have been arrested in connection with a double shooting in Oakville last year that left a 27-year-old Alberta man dead in what police said was a “targeted and planned murder.”
Halton Regional Police provided an update on Thursday in their investigation into the Aug. 19 shooting that occurred in the area of Belt Lane and Littlefield Road.
Police said Arman Dhillon was killed in the incident while a woman suffered life-altering injuries.
As a result of an investigation, Halton police, with the help of Peel police and Hamilton police, executed search warrants at three different locations in the Greater Toronto Area on Apr. 4.
Three men were arrested during the operation. They have been identified as 30-year-old Joseph Richard Whitlock of Pickering, 29-year-old Karn Veer Sandhu of Edmonton and 25-year-old Kulvir Bhatia of Calgary.
Police have charged them with first-degree murder and attempted murder.
“None of the accused were on a form of release for violent crime at the time of the murder,” homicide unit Insp. Trevor Bradley said in a video release.
“This homicide was a targeted and planned murder that crossed provincial lines as part of a larger criminal-based conflict.”
Halton police said they are not releasing further details about the investigation due to a publication ban on the case.
“This was a terrifying event for the residents of this community. Fortunately, no other persons were injured as a result,” Halton police Deputy Chief Jeff Hill said.
“I would like to thank all those members in the community, both here in Halton and throughout the GTA, who provided information to support this investigation. I would also like to commend a number of specialized units from within the Halton Regional Police Service as well as police services from other provinces who contributed to this significant investigation.”
Police continue to appeal for anyone with information to contact the homicide unit tip line at 905-825-4776 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.
