Very scary feeling: Shooting at Kapil Sharma cafe in Canada shakes locals

A shooting at comedian-actor Kapil Sharma's newly opened Kap's Cafe in British Columbia (BC), Canada, late on Wednesday night has left the residents, including those of Indian-origin, deeply shaken and anxious. The incident has sparked growing calls for swift government action to prevent similar attacks. Reports of extortion attempts targeting the South Asian community in Canada have been on the rise, and members of the Indian diaspora say the shooting has intensified fear and unease within the community.

The eatery officially opened on July 4, as announced on the cafe's official Instagram account.

Khalistani terrorist Harjeet Singh Laddi, a most-wanted fugitive by India's Investigation Agency (NIA), has claimed responsibility for the firing incident.

Laddi is a Canada-based operative associated with the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa (BKI), one of the oldest and most organised Khalistani terrorist groups.

The attack has drawn criticism and concern from the Shadow Minister for Public Safety and Solicitor General Elenore Sturko.

Sturko, who is an MLA from Surrey-Cloverdale, took to social media to express frustration with the government's response to rising crime in the area.

"Another Surrey business targeted by violence with multiple shots fired," she said in a post on X.

Sturko slammed BC Public Safety Minister Garry Begg over the incident.

"Members of our community are tired of living in fear. When will your soft-on-crime NDP government finally deliver results on public safety?," the Conservative MLA added and also tagged Begg in the post.

Her statement reflects a growing demand for tangible action from the authorities, as gun violence and criminal incidents continue to rattle communities across Surrey.

Threats against South Asian businesses have increased in recent months, BC Solicitor General Garry Begg said, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News reported last month.

IT WAS A VERY SCARY FEELING, SAY LOCALS OVER CAFE FIRING

The shooting at the comedian's cafe sparked anxiety and fear among Surrey residents.

"It was a very scary feeling; you don't feel good living in an environment like this," Maninderdeep Kaur, a resident of Surrey, was quoted as saying by CBC News.

"In a city like Surrey, it's very disappointing," she added.

Another local, Sharin Whitty, told the broadcaster that the attack on the eatery was "disheartening" and urged the government to take action.

Whitty said it was a "shame" the business was targeted, while reaffirming faith in Surrey's vibrant spirit.

"We were all excited about this cafe opening. Kapil is a really prominent artist for our community and our Punjabi community specifically," Whitty said.

She said she wants to hear more from the Canadian government about what's being done to protect residents, but she added she's a proud Surrey resident.

"I think Surrey is a beautiful community; I'm happy to live here, and I think we need more businesses like this," she further said.

The assailants reportedly arrived in a car and fled soon after firing. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.

According to Canadian journalist Sameer Kaushal, around 12 bullets were fired at the restaurant.

SHOCKED, BUT WON'T GIVE UP: KAPIL SHARMA'S CAFE

Kapil Sharma's cafe reaffirmed its resilience following the shooting incident, declaring on Instagram that it will not be intimidated by violence.

"We opened Kap's Cafe with hopes of bringing warmth, community and joy through delicious coffee and friendly conversations. To have violence intersect with that dream is heartbreaking. We are processing this shock, but we are not giving up," the eatery said in the message.

Kapil Sharma's popular comedy show returned for its third season on Netflix last month.

The comedian has been entertaining audiences with his humour since 2007.

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