Balbir Singh Sodhi (1949 - September 15, 2001) was a Phoenix, Arizona gas station owner who was murdered in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. He made headlines because his was the first of a total of eight murder cases across the United States that were reported to the police as acts of retaliation for the terrorist attacks. According to family members, Singh Sodhi had been distraught because of the terrorist attacks. 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Phoenix (Oodham: Skikik) was incorporated as a city on February 5, 1881. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Other U.S. States Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano (D) Official languages English Only State Area 295,254 km² (6th)  - Land 294,312 km²  - Water 942 km² (0. ... Gasoline, as it is known in North America, or petrol, in many Commonwealth countries (sometimes also called motor spirit) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated attacks carried out against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. ...

Born in Punjab, India, he was a member of the Sikh religion. He moved to Los Angeles in 1989, where he worked as a taxi driver. He later relocated to San Francisco, where he continued to work in that capacity. He saved enough money to buy a gas station in Phoenix, and then he moved there. This article details the Indian state of Punjab. ... A Sikh man wearing a turban A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a religious faith originating in the Punjab. ... The City of Los Angeles (from Spanish Los Ángeles , meaning the angels), also known as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the worlds most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The downtown San Francisco skyline, looking east from the central part of the city. ...

On September 15, 2001, he was shot five times by a gunman and died instantly. Apparently, he had been confused with a person of Middle Eastern ethnicity because of the clothes he wore, his turban, and his beard. Within 25 minutes of his death, the Phoenix police reported four further attacks on people who either were Middle Easterners or who dressed with clothes thought to be worn by Middle Easterners. September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The turban (Arabic عمامة; ‘imamah, Turkish tülbent, Persian دلبنت; dulband) is a headdress, of obscure Oriental origin, consisting of a long scarf wound round the head or an inner hat. ...

On September 30, 2003, Frank Roque, age 44, was convicted of first-degree murder in the Singh case. On October 10, dismissing defense claims of diminished mental responsibility (Roque has a history of schizophrenia and of hearing voices), jurors at Maricopa County Superior Court sentenced him to face the death penalty. September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining, as the final day of September. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Frank Roque was an Arizona resident who was convicted (on 30 Sept. ... Murder is both a legal and a moral term, that are not always coincident. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ...

Less than a year after Balbir's death (August 4, 2002), his younger brother, Sukhpal, was shot to death in his taxicab in San Francisco, apparently by a stray bullet from a nearby gang fight. "What are you going to do with anger?" said Balbir's son, Sukhwinder, in response to the second tragedy. "We like peace and we are a peaceful people." August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity and, in current usage, engage in illegal activities. ...

External link

• Balbir Sodhi memorial page on SikhNet