Beloved teen ‘never deserved’ to die
Grieving family gathers at funeral to say goodbye to 16-year-old Surrey shooting victim
The wails and screams of Jaskarn (Jason) Singh Jhutty’s mother and sister pierced the air as the white casket bearing the teen’s body was slowly wheeled away after his funeral Thursday.
The depth of his parents’ and siblings’ grief at the sudden and tragic loss of their 16-year-old son and brother was palpable to the hundreds who attended the hour-long service at a Delta funeral home.
Jhutty, a Grade 10 student at Surrey’s Frank Hurt Secondary, was found dead on the side of the road in the 18800-block 40th Avenue in South Surrey at about 10:30 p.m. on June 4, along with the body of 17-year-old Jaskaran (Jesse) Singh Bhangal, Jhutty’s friend.
Both teens had been shot. About 45 minutes before the teens’ bodies were discovered, Mounties found a burning vehicle near 184th Street and 29A Avenue.
A second burning car, a Honda Accord, was found near 177th Street and 93rd Avenue at around 11 p.m.
Jhutty and Bhangal had no history with police, but investigators believe their deaths weren’t random. “There are no words out there that describe how much Jason means to me,” Gagan Jhutty told the crowd.
“He was the best brother anyone could ask for, and he was always there for me whenever I needed him. Everyone that knew Jason knew he never deserved anything like this.”
Most of Jhutty’s funeral service was conducted in Punjabi, but his brother, sister and cousin shared heartfelt eulogies in English.
Harman Sekhon said her cousin was a kind soul who was always there when someone needed him and thought about others before himself.
“On June 4 we lost a life — one that did not deserve to be gone. Let’s not think about how he’s not with us any more. Instead, let’s remember Aug. 15, 2001, the day we were sent a little angel named Jason,” Sekhon said.
“Today we are all here to celebrate his life, including all of the things he accomplished, everything he went through to be who he was until the moment before he left us.”
Sekhon said Jhutty was always ready for an adventure, and was usually laughing or making jokes.
He did everything with his whole heart.
A seven-minute slide show, which had most mourners in tears, featured countless photos of Jhutty as a baby and young boy, through to his teen years. In every photo, he was smiling, laughing or embracing friends and family.
His older sister Pawan described tying a rakhi on her brother’s wrist for each of his 16 years, a rite performed primarily by sisters to protect their brothers, granting them long life and prosperity.
“Along with that, every day I would pray to God, asking him to always protect Jason, and if he had anything bad for him to give it to me instead,” she said, sobbing. “But God didn’t listen, so of course I’ve been very angry at him.”
However, she said, her family has received support and wisdom to help them through their loss, for which they’re grateful. She said an elder told her that her brother belonged to God and was simply a gift they were fortunate enough to receive.
“I want to thank him. Thank you, Jason, for choosing us. Thank you for choosing me to be your sister. Part of you will always live in me forever. You may have left, but your presence will always be felt here,” she said.
“No words can describe how much you mean to us. The depth of our love for you cannot be measured. We love you and we are proud of you.”
Police are still investigating the deaths of Jhutty and Bhangal, and the vehicle fires, and have asked anyone with information to call investigators at 1-877-551-4448. Those who wish to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.