36-year-old Indian-American Sikh was killed in an alleged hate crime in Arizona.
PHOENIX (Diya TV) — A 36-year-old Sikh American was shot dead in a robbery of a 7-Eleven in Arizona Monday, an incident in which police are still seeking to find the attacker in.
Amanjeet Singh Toor, who worked at the convenience store as a manager, was shot during the robbery, which occurred early Monday morning. The assailant chased the other employees out of the store before making away with a bag, police said. Toor immigrated to the U.S. six years ago from India, his wife had just recently joined him in America four months ago.
The shooter has been described wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, face mask and red gloves.
Pictured right is the suspect police say is responsible for shooting Toor during the robbery.
Toor was described by friends and coworkers as a happy man and hard-working. He was part of a Sikh community of nearly 3,000 families in the Phoenix area.
“He was just starting his life and it was taken away from him,” said Toor’s cousin, Micky Gill. “This person took someone’s life for just a few dollars. I don’t think it was worth it. This family will suffer forever,” he added.
The incident once again brings to the surface issues of the safety of Sikh-Americans in the country in a post-9/11 world. A multitude of Sikhs have been targeted and attacked because of their articles of faith: their beards and turbans. Rana Singh Sodhi, a Sikh and community activist, spoke on behalf of Mr Toor’s family, calling for the community to come together to find the perpetrator.
“He handed over the money, but was still shot. It begs the question (of racism),” Sodhi said. “We are new immigrants in this area, but we request the community come out and help get this person behind bars,” he added.
Sodhi’s own brother was killed in a hate crime in nearby Messa just four days after 9/11.
“Fifteen years later and we are still not treated right. They come into our stores, give us the finger and shout, ‘Go back to your country. This is a common thing for us. Any terrorist attack that happens, we get affected every year. Our lives have not been the same since 9/11,” he said.
The 7-Eleven Corporation has raised the award to $11,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.
