‘Entire village is in shock’: Punjab youth shot dead while delivering pizza in New York

A 28-year-old Punjab native was allegedly shot dead while delivering a pizza in Brooklyn, leaving his family seeking answers over the killing and its motive

A 28-year-old youth from Kapurthala’s Jabowal village was allegedly shot dead while delivering a pizza in New York’s Brooklyn.

Gurdeep Singh from Jabowal village entered the US via ‘dunki’ route in 2017 and was currently on a work permit. (HT)

The deceased, Gurdeep Singh, resided in Queens, New York, and entered the US illegally nine years ago via the ‘dunki’ route in 2017, according to the family.

Gurdeep Singh found with multiple gunshot wounds

The incident occurred around 10 pm on August 21 (Friday) at 899 Crescent Street near Stanley Avenue in East New York. The New York Police Department (NYPD) reported a shooting and found a victim lying in a pool of blood with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to the One Brooklyn Health-Brookdale Hospital Medical Centre, where the staff declared him dead. The NYPD has yet to identify the assailant(s).

Gurdeep’s family received news of his death on Saturday evening after friends called and narrated the incident. “The entire village is in shock. Gurdeep migrated to the US in 2017. He was on a work permit and was hoping to get his Green Card soon as all legal formalities had been completed. His parents and younger brother are daily wagers. He had not visited his family since he left,” said Gurdeep’s uncle Daler Chand, 45. He added that the family was told that Gurdeep was attacked while delivering a pizza to a customer. “We didn’t know whether it was an attempted robbery or a hate crime,” he said.

The inconsolable family members of Gurdeep Singh at Kapurthala’s Jabowal village

₹35 lakh loan, years of struggle ended in tragedy

Gurdeep’s father, Payara Lal, said: “We took a loan of ₹35 lakh to send Gurdeep to the US, where he struggled significantly to secure his future. He was our sole breadwinner. He had worked hard and managed to pay off a major portion of the loan taken to send him abroad.”

The family was planning to get him married next year, added Lal. He appealed to the Punjab and Union governments to make the necessary arrangements to bring Gurdeep’s body to India as soon as possible. They have also urged US law enforcement agencies to ensure strict action against those responsible for the killing.

Punjabi group urges probe into motive behind killing

The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) expressed grief and concern over the killing. Satnam Singh Chahal, NAPA executive director, said the incident should not be treated as an isolated case. “Every time a young Punjabi or Sikh person is killed, a family is destroyed. We cannot allow repeated violence to become something the community simply learns to live with,” Chahal said. NAPA urged investigators to establish the exact motive behind the killing and cautioned against drawing conclusions before the probe is over.