By The Canadian Press on October 21, 2024.
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. – Two men charged in the killing of former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a British Columbia court. The courthouse in New Westminster, B.C., confirmed the pleas from Tanner Fox and Jose Lopez in the 2022 shooting of Malik, who was acquitted in 2005 over the 1985 bombings that killed 331 people. Fox and Lopez, who were originally charged with first-degree murder, will next appear in court on Oct. 31. Malik, 75, was shot dead in his vehicle outside his business in Surrey, B.C., on July 14, 2022. Police said before charging Fox and Lopez that people in a vehicle waited hours for Malik before the 9:30 a.m. shooting. Malik’s son, Jaspreet Singh Malik, has said family members had never heard of Fox or Lopez, and he did not why anyone would kill his father. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024. 8