Latest update November 23rd, 2024 1:00 AM
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‘Killer father’ in Canadian hospital with self-inflicted gunshot – $2,500 needed for daughter’s funeral; $32,000 raised
Arrangements have been made to say goodbye to an 11-year-old girl found murdered inside her father’s Brampton home.
Visitation for Riya Rajkumar will take place this evening at Lotus Funeral and Cremation Centre, located at 121 Cityview Dr. in Etobicoke between 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with funeral services scheduled for tomorrow at 9 a.m.
As well, members of Brampton City Council are planning a vigil for Riya at Garden Square in downtown Brampton, set to begin at 5:45 p.m.
A fundraising campaign organized by Neighbourhood Watch Brampton intended to cover funeral expenses raised over $32,351 by yesterday morning — far exceeding its $2,500 target.
Riya Rajkumar, 11 and her father, who police said murdered her.
Neighbourhood Watch Brampton spokesperson Fazal Khan says the campaign recorded over 75,000 visitors since Friday, and donations from over 1,080 people across Canada.
That campaign will come to an end after today’s vigil.
Nicole Cedrone, who will emcee the Brampton candlelight vigil, said the event is meant to help those touched by Riya’s death to come together and heal as a community.
“This has affected all of us,” she said, adding she has a daughter the same age as Riya.
“We just feel compelled to help Riya’s mom as much as we can. There’s just no words.”
A number of unauthorized fundraising campaigns have also appeared on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe. A statement posted on Facebook by Riya’s family Saturday states no GoFundMe campaigns have been authorized, and urges anybody who sees one to report them.
Riya’s father, Roopesh Rajkumar, continues to recover from a self-inflicted gunshot wound sustained prior to his arrest Friday by OPP members near Oro-Medonte, Ontario.
He’s been charged with first-degree murder in connection with his daughter’s death.
While police aren’t releasing details on the circumstances of his injuries, the province’s Special Investigations Unit was notified but opted to not invoke its mandate to investigate.
He remains in custody, and will appear in court once deemed medically able to do so.
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