The 28-year-old singer, whose real name was Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital where his death was confirmed, Punjab police chief Viresh told reporters Kumar Bhawra.
Bhawra said about 30 empty carcasses were found at the scene of the crime, which belonged to at least three different weapons, including a 9mm pistol.
Punjab police linked the attack to gang rivalry, with a gang member from Canada allegedly claiming responsibility for Moose Wala’s death. But political groups have blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which rules the Punjab, for allowing the assassination to take place.
“Sidhu Moose Wala was assassinated on a scale in a state-sponsored assassination. The AAP government is fully responsible for this,” India’s ruling party Bharatiya Janata said in a statement.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of the AAP said Moose Wala’s killers would not be spared. “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific murder of Sidhu Moose Wala. No one involved will be spared. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his fans around the world. I ask everyone to remain calm,” he said. tweet.
The murder
Moose Wala left his home in a car with two other people around 4:30 p.m., Bhawra said. About an hour later, two cars approached the vehicle in front of it and opened fire, he said.
The attack came when the Punjab state government announced the reduction and withdrawal of previously provided security coverage to 424 officials, including 122 politicians including Moose Wala, according to the Press Trust of India. Critics said the move would make people vulnerable to attacks.
Bhawra said Moose Wala normally had access to four commandos, but two had been reassigned to cover the anniversary of a Sikh massacre. Moose Wala still had access to two armed security guards, but had chosen not to travel with police protection on Sunday, Bhawra added. “When he left home, he did not bring commands (guards) with them and told them that they should not come,” Bhawra said.
The singer also had access to a bulletproof car that he did not use, Bhawra added.
Moose Wala rose to fame after releasing his first song in 2017, becoming one of the most prominent musicians of his generation.
He had 8 million followers on Instagram and his music videos have garnered millions of views on YouTube. His fellow rapper Drake reacted to the news of his death by sharing a photo of him on Instagram. “RIP Moose,” he wrote in a headline.
The rapper ventured into politics in 2021 and joined the National Congress party of India, contesting the Punjab legislative elections in February, when he was defeated by rival AAP.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Moose Wala Congress party, shared his public condolences on social media.