Halifax Walmart death: Police say foul play not suspected

Police in Halifax say the death of a Walmart employee who was found inside an oven in the store last month is not suspicious, but they are refusing to release any additional details.

Halifax Regional Police responded to a sudden death at the Walmart on Mumford Road on Oct. 19.

Police previously confirmed the 19-year-old female employee was found dead inside a large walk-in oven in the bakery department, but have mostly remained tight-lipped about the case.

They released an update Monday, stating that the woman’s death is not believed to be suspicious, and there is no evidence of foul play.

“Investigators met with family to share this update and extend condolences,” said Const. Martin Cromwell, public information officer for Halifax Regional Police, in a news release.

“Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.”

However, police are not saying exactly how the woman died or how she ended up in the oven.

The Maritime Sikh Society has identified the victim as Gursimran Kaur. According to the society, Kaur and her mother moved to Halifax about three years ago and both worked at the Walmart.

The society says Kaur’s mother became concerned that night when she hadn’t seen her daughter for over an hour. She tried to reach her by phone, but she wasn’t answering, so she started searching the store for her. The society says the mother eventually found her daughter inside the walk-in oven.

Store remains closed

The store has remained closed since the incident and the Department of Labour issued a stop-work order for the bakery and “one piece of equipment.” That order has since been lifted and Walmart said the oven would be removed from the store.

Amanda Moss, a spokesperson for Walmart Canada, told CTV News “removing the oven had always been part of the standard remodel program” the company is implementing across the country.

There is no word on when the store might reopen.

Close to $200,000 raised for family

Last month, the Maritime Sikh Society raised close to $200,00 for the Kaur family through a GoFundMe page within just 24 hours.

The society had hoped to raise $50,000 through the page and that target was reached within just 10 hours. A total of $194,949 was raised for Kaur’s family – or 390 per cent of the fundraising goal.

The funds raised will go to funeral expenses and the costs associated with bringing Kaur’s family over from India. CTV News has learned Kaur’s brother and father are now in the province.