Canada - Gursimran Kaur, 19, Walmart worker found dead inside bakery oven - October 22, 2024

[al66pine]

Safety Features?

Is it possible that, to initiate the oven's heating/baking (maybe cleaning) , oven manufr. designed oven to require:
Step 1 = person uses a knob(?) on oven's exterior to close door & seal oven,
THEN
Step 2 = a person steps away/moves to the control panel a different location where the person can set the specify times, temperatures, etc.

Manuf'rs are aware that no matter -
- how many warning/danger stickers are right next to the controls,
- how specifically the training manual leads new employees thru procedure,
- how often refresher training is offered,
with high temp. or other dangerous equipment, STUFF HAPPENS.

If operator, while standing/sitting in one place, cannot make oven begin to heat - but must move a step or two away - seems imo it would REDUCE (not eliminate) chances of turning oven on by accident.

I've seen/read about some big industrial equipment engineered & manuf'ed w built-in safety features like ^.

Not saying that the Walmart oven even had this feature, but if it did, it may what reveal something about what happened or if more than one person was involved. Or not.
Not drawing any conclusions or even speculating about how this death occurred. IDK.

Tragic, regardless.

 

[sunspun]

Do we know if they have even determined who turned it on? I've heard it may have been turned on to warm it up to make it easier to clean. If so, that would explain why it was on at all even though they were done baking for the night. But would turning it on for that reason make it get hot enough to be fatal? Regardless if it was turned on for cleaning or for any other reason, someone did have to turn it on, right? Unless it's possibly on a timer or automated somehow, I guess... And that could probably be seen on camera.

I know at my Walmart, the bakery/deli closes at 8 or 9pm, and all the employees of that department are gone by then, except 2 who stay late to clean. And she was found around 11? By that time, my Walmart bakery/deli is empty, with all their lights off. I don't see how anyone could have turned it on to clean it, and then NOT clean it til after the whole store closed. Maybe theirs stays open til the store closes though.

 

[KSwizzle]

I will look for an approved link, also, not sure if suggesting podcasts is allowed but the newest episode of the nighttime podcast, the host lives near the walmart it happened at and he goes into it as well

Here's a link from NBC it's not too long I do think there was more said by the police.

Death of 19-year-old employee found in Walmart walk-in oven was not foul play, police say

“We do not believe anyone else was involved in the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death,” a Halifax Regional Police spokesperson said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Charlot123]

I will look for an approved link, also, not sure if suggesting podcasts is allowed but the newest episode of the nighttime podcast, the host lives near the walmart it happened at and he goes into it as well

Here's a link from NBC it's not too long I do think there was more said by the police.

Death of 19-year-old employee found in Walmart walk-in oven was not foul play, police say

“We do not believe anyone else was involved in the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death,” a Halifax Regional Police spokesperson said.

www.nbcnews.com

I don’t know what the phrase “the baking oven was being removed from the store” precisely means, but if Ms. Kaur’s death happened during the process of removal, then, things might have been chaotic. I can even imagine that in the process of removing, some safety features didn’t work.

Accidents are more prone to happen during such times because someone can “switch something off/on and leave till the morning”. JMO - we humans usually can not foresee many turns of events, be it accidental or not. Call it negligence or just lack of planning, but there is a reason why we constantly say “in hindsight”.

 

[Charlot123]

If I could gently share that in many years here in WS I have seen understandable struggle with cases where LE has not determined foul play, and where the cause of death is immolation. It is particularly hard for good people to rationally accept self-immolation. In this particular case, where to my knowledge that specific finding was not released publicly by LE - I am glad that this was a venue with many cameras to assist LE, and that the family’s privacy has been respected, as I cannot imagine the pain (as a mother of daughters myself). I hope all who were close to this case are getting excellent care and therapy if they wish. I know I would need it.

I experience deep sense of respect to the Sikh’s community. How rapidly and quietly they collected the money necessary for the family, and stopped when they felt it was enough. We all feel the same, but conceptual expression might differ. I hope that the Sikh’s community and its representatives will find the best words to console the family and instill hope.

 

[rleigh123]

How is it possible they "may never have answers" when there's cameras ALL OVER Walmart? And have you all seen the videos online of people who work there showing how difficult it'd be to lock yourself in those ovens? It's next to impossible. Something real weird happened here. The official narrative is hard to believe

Exactly. I understand the want for privacy, but this happened in the workplace. In a public space. There are TOO many unanswered questions. It's bizarre.


Is there a gag order? Why no interviews from employees of that store? Anonymous quotes from coworkers who knew them? How about from the coworkers who were there?


Current - or even former - employees of that location who could give ANY insight to policies, procedure, workplace dynamics, bakery layout, ANYTHING.


The silence is deafening.





JMO MOO

 

[Charlot123]

Exactly. I understand the want for privacy, but this happened in the workplace. In a public space. There are TOO many unanswered questions. It's bizarre.


Is there a gag order? Why no interviews from employees of that store? Anonymous quotes from coworkers who knew them? How about from the coworkers who were there?


Current - or even former - employees of that location who could give ANY insight to policies, procedure, workplace dynamics, bakery layout, ANYTHING.


The silence is deafening.





JMO MOO

No matter what happened, obviously, the walk-in oven was not safe and poorly managed. It the store’s problem. 1. Who needs a walk-in oven? 2. The door ended up closed although it shouldn’t have happened. 3. Either it did not have safety unlock mechanism inside, or it was broken, or Gursimran wasn’t trained to use it. 4. The oven was either not transparent or unclean - people didn’t see if there was a person inside. 5. Lastly, walk in ovens and refrigerators should be supplied not only with latches, but with alarms to be switched from the inside if someone gets locked. So people accidentally trapped inside don’t bang on the door. A microphone at least should be in place. 6. There should be a turn off electrical switch located close to it.

We can only guess whether the 19-year old Walmart employee had an accident, or it was so cold inside Walmart that she was warming next to the oven, or somehow she ended inside and was accidentally locked in, or something else happened. Every theory is possible because she was an employee and there daily. <modsnip - opinion stated as fact> But with such bad ovens, and huge Walmarts, and customers coming in with young kids, can a child, playing, run away from a parent? With the oven like this, with unsafe doors, if he accidentally runs into an oven, or hides in it to play, the same might happen, too. It seems that the safety system of the ovens is poor. And they are human size.

 

[Kittybunny]

If I could gently share that in many years here in WS I have seen understandable struggle with cases where LE has not determined foul play, and where the cause of death is immolation. It is particularly hard for good people to rationally accept self-immolation. In this particular case, where to my knowledge that specific finding was not released publicly by LE - I am glad that this was a venue with many cameras to assist LE, and that the family’s privacy has been respected, as I cannot imagine the pain (as a mother of daughters myself). I hope all who were close to this case are getting excellent care and therapy if they wish. I know I would need it.

Agree. As unfathomable as this seems to us who are not in the throes of despair, the unspoken conclusion I personally have come to is that this indeed is a case of self-harm, and that the unanswered questions we have about the how will remain unanswered out of LE’s respect for her family. I am sure that LE has shared information, including relevant video, with her family that they need, but we won’t ever be privy to.

As for the Why…we know nothing of this young lady’s life or potential turmoil, and even to those who were closest to her, it will never ever make sense if this was self-harm.

 

[helix527]

If I could gently share that in many years here in WS I have seen understandable struggle with cases where LE has not determined foul play, and where the cause of death is immolation. It is particularly hard for good people to rationally accept self-immolation. In this particular case, where to my knowledge that specific finding was not released publicly by LE - I am glad that this was a venue with many cameras to assist LE, and that the family’s privacy has been respected, as I cannot imagine the pain (as a mother of daughters myself). I hope all who were close to this case are getting excellent care and therapy if they wish. I know I would need it.

Agree. As unfathomable as this seems to us who are not in the throes of despair, the unspoken conclusion I personally have come to is that this indeed is a case of self-harm, and that the unanswered questions we have about the how will remain unanswered out of LE’s respect for her family. I am sure that LE has shared information, including relevant video, with her family that they need, but we won’t ever be privy to.

As for the Why…we know nothing of this young lady’s life or potential turmoil, and even to those who were closest to her, it will never ever make sense if this was self-harm.

I agree with you both. A terrible tragedy that likely does not involve foul play.

 

[ekc]

She baked to death, see above link for further info. No determination on manner of death yet.

i live in the same city and there has been no word or hint of...first i cannot imagine the pain this is for her mother who worked at the store and those who worked with her. i refuse to believe this was accidental...she was used to working the oven and knew the protocol...this is one case that just wont leave me..

 

[Chimera]

i live in the same city and there has been no word or hint of...first i cannot imagine the pain this is for her mother who worked at the store and those who worked with her. i refuse to believe this was accidental...she was used to working the oven and knew the protocol...this is one case that just wont leave me..

Bbm.
Admittedly I still wonder.....
At this point, I doubt we'll ever know.
Imo.

 

[Laura456]

This just seems an awful way to take yourself out of life, because 1) painful 2) not instantaneous 3) you're causing trauma to everyone who sees you during and after, but they probably ruled out everything else

 

[ekc]

I agree with you both. A terrible tragedy that likely does not involve foul play.

oh but may...i hope there will a ball drop moment...baking myself in a full oven really does not entice me as my first way of taking myself out...the description of body fluids seeping through the bottom of the oven door just brings up the nauseous factor and frankly i sure hope her mother did not have to see it...as an aside we did not hear too much further of dear dad...just a thought

 

[DustysMom]

This just seems an awful way to take yourself out of life, because 1) painful 2) not instantaneous 3) you're causing trauma to everyone who sees you during and after, but they probably ruled out everything else

Agree. Maybe she and Mother were not getting along and she threatened to kill herself in a high drama moment. I can imagine a young adult living at home with strict rules about dating and socializing wanting some autonomy. Going to work might be the only chance for her to socialize with kids her age and then her Mother is there, too - keeping any eye on her. She fights with Mom and threatens to kill herself. That would explain why her Mother was so upset when she didn’t know where she was and why she went to the Bakery and looked at the stove.
This is just a theory - IMO. I have no idea what her home life was like. I grew up in a very strict household so I understand the angst.

 

[ekc]

Agree. Maybe she and Mother were not getting along and she threatened to kill herself in a high drama moment. I can imagine a young adult living at home with strict rules about dating and socializing wanting some autonomy. Going to work might be the only chance for her to socialize with kids her age and then her Mother is there, too - keeping any eye on her. She fights with Mom and threatens to kill herself. That would explain why her Mother was so upset when she didn’t know where she was and why she went to the Bakery and looked at the stove.
This is just a theory - IMO. I have no idea what her home life was like. I grew up in a very strict household so I understand the angst.

good point DM...i know you feel a but coming and here goes...i was always under the understanding that in the Sikh community it was always the "man of the house" who made the rules and such... i'll go back to what a heck of a way to prove a point on her part...again if she could get out of the oven she would have i would think or would hope... this is one that will never leave me as the visuals on my part are way too hurtful

 

[LadyL]

Agree. Maybe she and Mother were not getting along and she threatened to kill herself in a high drama moment. I can imagine a young adult living at home with strict rules about dating and socializing wanting some autonomy. Going to work might be the only chance for her to socialize with kids her age and then her Mother is there, too - keeping any eye on her. She fights with Mom and threatens to kill herself. That would explain why her Mother was so upset when she didn’t know where she was and why she went to the Bakery and looked at the stove.
This is just a theory - IMO. I have no idea what her home life was like. I grew up in a very strict household so I understand the angst.

she went to the bakery and looked in the oven because a cco-worker told her they saw leaking fluids

 

[annpats]

But surely CCTV from the store would confirm if a co-worker was involved or not?

Or police forensics of the scene/oven would confirm if someone else was involved or not?

Why has their been no movement on this case, as to what actually happened?!

 

[Lexiintoronto]

But surely CCTV from the store would confirm if a co-worker was involved or not?

Or police forensics of the scene/oven would confirm if someone else was involved or not?

Why has their been no movement on this case, as to what actually happened?!

The police said no one else was involved. My guess is they know that because of cctv footage.

On February 3rd, the store reopened. The Department of Labour is still investigating. From the CBC:

“Walmart remains in contact with Kaur's family and will consider ways to honour the young woman, who was remembered as a kind person with a gentle spirit by those who knew her.

"Three months is still very recent for that magnitude of a tragedy," Ritcey said. "We'll continue to be in contact and make sure that we work out the best situation possible with them."”
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7448983

 

[annpats]

The police said no one else was involved.

I did read that a while back, but I just find it so hard to believe.

I didn't even think the oven could be started from the inside.....

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I did read that a while back, but I just find it so hard to believe.

I didn't even think the oven could be started from the inside.....

If no one else is involved, she must have either set the timer (if there was one) or turned it on herself before going in, imo.