close
close

Walmart employee dead in oven: What we don't know

  • Police have not yet determined the cause or manner of death and it is unclear how employee Gursimran Kaur ended up in the oven
  • According to members of the local Sikh community, Kaur immigrated from India and was discovered by her mother
  • “Our deepest thoughts are with our associate and his family,” a Walmart spokeswoman said

Much remains unknown about how a 19-year-old Walmart employee was found dead in her store's walk-in oven earlier this month – although some key details have emerged, including the victim's identity and how her family is now fighting for a ” beautiful woman” mourns girl” with “big dreams”.

Police in Halifax, Canada, have warned against “sharing speculative information” as they conduct what they call a “complex” and time-consuming investigation.

Walmart also said its employees were “heartbroken.”

Here's what is known and what isn't known about the tragedy.

When was Walmart employee's body discovered?

According to an Oct. 21 news release, Halifax Regional Police were called to a “sudden death” at the store around 9:30 p.m. local time on Oct. 19.

“A 19-year-old woman who was employed at the store was found dead,” the news release confirmed.

In another update on Tuesday, Oct. 22, police said the young woman was “found in a large walk-in oven that is part of the bakery section of the store.”

Never miss a story again — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Gursimran Kaur.

GoFundMe


Who is the victim? The community remembers them

In a statement to PEOPLE, a member of the Maritime Sikh Society said that the deceased employee was Gursimran Kaur, an immigrant from India, and that the group has set up a GoFundMe in her family's name.

“We are a Sikh Gurdwara, the largest in the Atlantic provinces of Canada,” Balbir Singh, a secretary of the Maritime Sikh Society, told PEOPLE. “This fundraiser began with the permission of the immediate family and all proceeds go to [Gursimran’s] Mother.”

According to the GoFundMe, Kaur — who was described as “a young beautiful girl who came to Canada with big dreams” — and her mother had worked at the Walmart store for two years.

“The community is shocked by the whole incident,” Harjit Seyan, president of the Maritime Sikh Society, told Canada's Global News. “We’re really upset.”

How was she found?

On the night of Oct. 19, Kaur's mother allegedly tried to find her daughter after not seeing her for about an hour, the GoFundMe community explained. She became increasingly concerned when Kaur's phone was unreachable, which fundraiser organizers said was unusual since Kaur typically had her phone on during the day.

The Maritime Sikh Society then claimed that her mother eventually discovered her in the oven.

“The suffering of this family is unimaginable and indescribable. They need your support to get through this terrible time,” reads the description of their fundraiser, adding that all donations will go to the family.

A local member of the Sikh community told NBC News that they saw Kaur's mother “the day the incident occurred.”

“She was really distraught. She was really in a lot of pain,” said Satnam Randhawa, board member of the Maritime Sikh Society.

The Walmart in Halifax, Canada, where an employee was found dead.

Alamy


As of Friday, October 25, the GoFundMe campaign for Kaur's family had raised approximately $140,000 and was no longer accepting donations.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has donated to support Gursimran Kaur’s family during this unimaginable time,” the fundraiser organizers wrote on GoFundMe. “Their kindness and generosity were a source of strength for the family as they struggled through this tragedy.”

Organizers said they had decided to “cease donations” to “begin distributing funds to the family,” adding that the donations will “help them with their next steps.”

The GoFundMe also stated that Kaur's father and brother were in India and efforts were being made to fly them to Canada.

How did she get into the oven and die?

Halifax police have not yet reached a point in their investigation where “the cause and manner of death have been confirmed,” they said.

“We urge the public to exercise caution when sharing speculative information on social media,” police said in a statement last week. “Please be aware of the impact speculation could have on the woman’s family, colleagues and loved ones.”

However, according to the emergency photos taken by first responders, the woman was said to have been “locked” in the oven.

The call, which lasts about 90 seconds, was published by The Daily Mailshowed a dispatcher who described the incident as a “technical rescue call” at the store.

“The woman is locked in an oven in the bakery, the oven is on, she doesn't know if the staff can turn it off,” the dispatcher said in the audio.

Shortly afterwards, however, another officer said that “the person was out of the oven when he arrived” and the matter was being handled by regional police.

Police have not said how the woman got into the oven, nor have they provided any other public information as part of their investigation.

The shop remains closed

The Nova Scotia Department of Labor, Skills and Immigration initially “issued a stop work order for the bakery area” at the Walmart in Halifax and then lifted it on Monday, October 28, a spokesperson tells PEOPLE.

“The stop-work order was lifted once compliance was confirmed, allowing bakery operations to safely resume should Walmart choose to do so,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

However, according to a Walmart spokeswoman, the location “will remain closed until further notice.”

“Our deepest thoughts are with our employee and his family,” said spokeswoman Amanda Moss. “We remain focused on looking after our employees and ensuring they receive the support they need. As police have explained, this is a very complex matter and investigations are ongoing.”

Moss did not provide further details about the incident, including whether Kaur, the employee, was working when she was found dead.