Shakeel Ashraf, owner of MK Auto Repairs in Milton, Ont. was gunned down in his shop Monday, Sept. 12 in an unprovoked shooting spree. Here he proudly poses with a cricket trophy won last year.

The Indie Garage team is saddened by the senseless death of Shakeel Ashraf, owner of MK Auto Repairs in Milton, Ont.

Ashraf, a married father of three, was one of four people shot in a violent spree Monday, Sept. 12 that also took the life of Toronto Police Const. Andrew Hong and left two other MK Auto Repair employees wounded. One of the wounded was listed in serious condition at the time, the other was in the intensive care unit with critical injuries. Names of the victims were not released by police.

UPDATE: One of those shot at the auto shop has succumbed to his injuries. Satwinder Singh, 28, an international student from India, died in Hamilton General Hospital, police said in a news release on Saturday, Sept. 17. Singh was working part-time at MK Auto Repairs at the time of shooting.

The attack, which is being call “unprovoked” by police, ended with the death of shooter Sean Petrie in a Hamilton, Ont. cemetery.

Const. Hong was shot while he was having lunch at a Tim Horton’s in Mississauga, where he was participating in joint training exercise with officers from Peel Regional Police and York Regional Police.

Petrie then travelled to AK Auto Repair where he had been briefly employed last year. An employee interviewed has said that he was not aware of any conflict between Petrie and Ashraf.

Accounts say that Petrie arrived at the shop while Ashraf was out picking up lunch for employees and waited until he returned.

Community members have remembered Ashraf as “everybody’s mechanic” and remembered his active participation in the community and charitable causes.

Ashraf, 39, was of Pakistani origin and immigrated with his family 25 years ago, opening two MK Auto Repairs locations in Milton that employ more than 15 workers. He had recently opened a new autobody shop.

“He had a reputation of being hardworking, friendly and compassionate to his clients and fellow Miltonians,” friend Hammad Jawaid told the Hamilton Spectator. “He regularly participated in and sponsored local community events, contributed to causes and will be missed by many in the South Asian community. His loss has left local community in utter disbelief and shock and well wishers have been constantly visiting his family house to pay their respects.”

Omer Ahmed, who worked for a time at Ashraf’s shop, told CBC news his former boss did a lot for the community and would help fix people’s cars, even if they couldn’t pay for the service. 

“He would always be in, like, a happy mood all the time,” Ahmed said. “He would always be smiling, always joyful, always caring.”

Ashraf had been the Ahmed family’s mechanic for a long time, and when he asked if he could work at the auto shop part-time while in college, Ashraf gave him a weekend job. 

“It feels unreal, honestly … he didn’t deserve it.”