'She was going to shop' - Eyewitness recounts moment Ghanaian student was fatally shot in Canada

A 26-year-old Ghanaian student, Belinda Sarkodie, was fatally shot at a bus stop in Hamilton, Ontario, on Friday, July 11, 2025, in what is believed to be a gang-related shooting.

In a viral video shared on Facebook on Saturday, July 12, 2025. An eyewitness said the deceased stepped out to shop when she was struck by a bullet.

“Belinda was just 26 years old. She came to Canada for school. Today is my off day. I was going to shop, and she was also going to shop when she met her untimely death,” a Ghanaian woman who witnessed the incident recounted.

Preliminary reports indicated that she was checking herself in a mirror at the bus stop when she was shot in the head.

The reports stated that others were also involved in the incident; one died at the scene, and another sustained injuries but survived.

The Police believe Sarkodie may have been an innocent bystander caught in a suspected gang-related shootout.

Meanwhile, the incident has since raised concerns within the Ghanaian community and among international student groups, especially as it follows similar tragedies.

Belinda Sarkodie had no known immediate family in Canada. Her death has left members of the Ghanaian diaspora and student communities in shock, mourning the loss of a young life cut short by violence.

Although Hamilton Police have cordoned off the area and launched an investigation. No arrests have been made, and the motive behind the shooting is still under review.