Family of Walmart worker ‘shocked’ after she is found dead in oven

• Gursimran Kaur’s mother “is telling everyone she wants justice for her daughter,” said a local member of the Sikh community in Halifax, Canada
• Another local echoed this, saying: “The immediate family are absolutely shocked. They are in some kind of trauma
• Police say the investigation is ongoing and warned against speculation

Gursimran Kaur arrived in Canada from India “with big dreams” and had been working at her local Walmart in Halifax for about two years when, according to one story, the 19-year-old seemed to disappear during a service earlier this month.

Her mother also worked with her to find where she had gone: members of the Maritime Sikh Society, who say Kaur’s family is part of their community. wrote in a fundraiser set up to support them.

Kaur’s mother “asked around, but everyone brushed it aside, thinking she (Kaur) might be helping a customer somewhere,” the association wrote in its fundraiser. “Walmart is a super store after all!”

Strangely, Kaur’s phone was “not reachable,” the association said, and her mother “began to panic because it was unusual for her to turn off her phone during the day.”

Within hours on October 19, Kaur’s mother discovered her body in a walk-in oven in the shop bakery – a tragedy devastated her loved ones and remains under investigation, according to police and the Sikh community.

“Of course the immediate family is absolutely shocked. They are in some kind of trauma,” said Harjit Seyan, president of the Maritime Sikh Society. told Canada’s Global News.

Satnam Randhawa, a board member of the Maritime Sikh Society, reiterated that: to NBC News“The first day I saw (Kaur’s mother) was the day the incident took place. She was really desperate. She was really in a lot of pain.”

Balbir Singh, secretary of the association, told the CBC that Kaur’s mother “is telling everyone she wants justice for her daughter.”

“She is not in a state where she wants all of this to be hushed up,” he said.

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Kaur’s father and brother have been in their native India, according to the Sikh association, which wrote in its fundraiser that “we are trying to get them here as quickly as possible.” The CBC reported that they live in the Indian state of Punjab.

About $140,000 was raised for the family before donations were stopped so the money could be disbursed, the Sikh association wrote. They remembered Kaur as a ‘beautiful girl’.

“Your kindness and generosity have been a source of strength to the family as they navigate this tragedy,” organizers wrote.

Singh, the association’s secretary, previously told PEOPLE “this fundraiser began with permission from the immediate family, and all proceeds will go to (Gursimran’s) mother.”

Halifax police have released few public details so far, other than to say their work will be complicated and “may require a significant amount of time.”

“We call on the public be careful about sharing speculative information on social media,” police said in a statement last week. “Be aware of the impact speculation can have on the woman’s family, colleagues and loved ones.”

‘It is important to note that the investigation is not yet complete the cause and manner of death have been confirmed,” police said.

The Walmart where Kaur worked remains closed, according to a company spokeswoman.

“Our deepest thoughts are with our employee and their family,” spokeswoman Amanda Moss said. “Our focus remains on looking after our employees and ensuring they have the support they need.”