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MalissaHardaway at 16:23, 4 January 2026

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imported>Bohemian Baltimore: removed Category:Anti-Arabism; added Category:Anti-Arabism in North America using HotCat

2021-08-04T11:13:04Z

removed Category:Anti-Arabism; added Category:Anti-Arabism in North America using HotCat

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{{short description|Crime shortly after the September 11th terror attacks}}
{{infobox person
|name = Balbir Singh Sodhi
|birth_date = 1949
|birth_place = [[Punjab, India]]
|occupation = Entrepreneur, franchisee, computer engineer/analyst (formerly)
|death_date = {{death date and age|2001|9|15|1949}}
|death_place = [[Mesa, Arizona]]
}}
'''Balbir Singh Sodhi''' (1949 – September 15, 2001),<ref name="splc">{{cite web | title = Remembering Victims of Hate Crimes | publisher = Southern Poverty Law Center | access-date = 2013-07-05 | url = http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2002/spring/the-forgotten?page=0,6 }}</ref> a [[Sikhism in the United States|Sikh-American]] entrepreneur and [[franchisee]] in [[Mesa, Arizona]], was murdered in a [[hate crime]] in the [[aftermath of the September 11 attacks]]. This was the first of several cases across the [[United States]] that were reported to the police as supposed acts of retaliation for the attacks. Balbir Singh Sodhi, who had a beard and wore a [[turban]] in accordance with his [[Sikh]] faith, was profiled as an [[Arab]] [[Muslim]] and murdered by 42-year-old Frank Silva Roque, a [[Boeing]] aircraft mechanic at a local repair facility who held a criminal record for an [[robbery|attempted robbery]] in [[California]]. Roque had reportedly told friends that he was "going to go out and shoot some towel-heads" the day of the attacks.<ref>{{cite news|first=Valarie|last=Karr|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-09-23/his-brother-was-murdered-wearing-turban-after-911-last-week-he-spoke-killer|title=His brother was murdered for wearing a turban after 9/11. 15 years later, he spoke to the killer|work=pri.org|date=September 23, 2016|access-date=May 15, 2018}}</ref> Roque was sentenced to death ([[clemency|commuted]] later to [[life imprisonment]]) for [[first degree murder]].

== Background ==
Born in [[Punjab, India]], Balbir Singh Sodhi was a member of the [[Sikh]] religion. He immigrated to the United States in 1989 and initially resided in [[Los Angeles]], where he worked as a computer engineer and analyst at [[Hewlett-Packard|HP]]. He saved enough money to buy a gas station and several affiliated franchises in [[Phoenix, Arizona]] and moved there.<ref name="NYT09-17-2001">{{cite news|first=Tamar | last=Lewin | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/17/us/sikh-owner-of-gas-station-is-fatally-shot-in-rampage.html? | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | title=Sikh Owner Of Gas Station Is Fatally Shot In Rampage | date=September 17, 2001}}</ref>

On September 11, 2001, members of [[al-Qaeda]], a militant [[Islamist]] group, hijacked four airplanes and perpetrated [[September 11 attacks|the 9/11 attacks]], killing 2,977 victims. According to family members, Sodhi had become distraught by the attacks.<ref>{{cite news|first=Naomi|last=Gingold|url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-09-20/brother-one-first-hate-crime-victims-post-911-keeps-teaching-tolerance|title=The brother of one of the first hate-crime victims post 9/11 keeps on teaching tolerance|work=pri.org|date=September 20, 2016|access-date=May 15, 2018}}</ref>

==Shooting of Sodhi, others==
On September 15, 2001, Roque took his [[Chevrolet S-10]] from the Wild Hare sports bar in [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]], where he had reportedly been ranting about immigrants, and drove to the [[Chevron Corporation|Chevron gas station]] owned by Sodhi. Roque shot Sodhi five times from his truck with a .380 handgun, killing him. At the time of the shooting, Sodhi was helping landscaper Luis Ledesma plant flowers around the edge of his gas station.<ref>{{cite news|first=Gary|last=Grado|url=http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/roque-could-get-death-penalty-for-sikh-murder/article_83b74c56-3b8f-5e72-85af-ce8d4a4d944d.html|title=Roque could get death penalty for Sikh murder|work=[[East Valley Tribune]]|publisher=[[Times Media Group]]|location=Tempe, Arizona|date=October 1, 2003|access-date=May 15, 2018}}</ref> Roque, who apparently wanted revenge for the 9/11 attacks, mistook him as an [[Arab]] [[Muslim]] because of the clothes he wore, his [[turban]], and his beard.

Roque then drove to a [[Mobil|Mobil gas station]] 10 miles away. Twenty minutes after the first shooting, he shot at a [[Lebanon|Lebanese]]-American clerk from his truck, but missed.<ref name="NYT09-17-2001" /> Roque then drove to his former residence, which had been purchased by a local Afghan family, and fired multiple rounds at the outside of the house. After fleeing the scene of the final shooting, Roque was reported to have gone to a local bar and boasted, "They're investigating the murder of a turban-head down the street."<ref>{{Cite news |first=Sunny | last=Hundal| title = Wisconsin temple shooting: Sikhs have been silent scapegoats since 9/11 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/06/wisconsin-temple-shooting-sikh-scapegoats | work = [[The Guardian]] | publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]]|location=London, England|date = August 6, 2012|access-date = August 8, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="splc"/>

==Arrest, trial, conviction of shooter==
Police arrested Roque the next day, initially unaware of the later shooting incidents. He reportedly shouted slogans including "I am a patriot!" and "I stand for America all the way!" during his arrest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/sac/dc0603/ch6.htm|title=Chapter 6: Fears and Concerns of Affected, At-Risk Communities|website=Usccr.gov|access-date=4 July 2016}}</ref> His [[bail]] was set at $1 million.

Roque's [[trial by jury]] began on August 18, 2003. Defense attorneys argued he was not guilty [[plea of insanity|due to insanity]], claiming that he had a diminished [[IQ]] and heard relentless voices telling him that Arabs were Satanic and must be killed. Two coworkers testified that Roque was "narrow-minded" and that he hated both immigrants and Arabs. Roque's defense attorney characterized him as mentally ill, and noted that his mother had twice been hospitalized for [[schizophrenia]], a condition which has been shown to appear in those genetically predisposed to it.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|first=Julian|last=Borger|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/oct/11/usa.julianborger|title=September 11 revenge killer to die for shooting Sikh|work=[[The Guardian]]|publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]]|location=London, England|date=10 October 2003|access-date=15 May 2018}}</ref> On September 30, 2003, he was found guilty of [[first degree murder]], and was [[capital punishment|sentenced to death]] nine days later.<ref name="Guardian"/>

On July 19, 2005, Roque was found guilty of an unspecified conspiracy charge while in prison, specified only as a violent crime. On February 27, 2006, he was found guilty of having manufactured a primitive weapon in prison three days earlier. In August 2006, the Arizona Supreme Court changed Roque's death sentence to a sentence of life in prison without parole, citing his low IQ and [[mental illness]] as [[mitigating factor]]s.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Michael|last1=Kiefer|first2=Jim|last2=Walsh|title=9/11-tied slayer won't be executed|url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0815roque0815.html |work=[[Arizona Republic]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|location=Phoenix, Arizona|date=August 15, 2006|archive-url=https://archive.is/20120720154640/http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0815roque0815.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://korematsu.blogspot.com/2006/08/arizona-supreme-court-overturns-death.html |title=DNSI Blog: Arizona Supreme Court Overturns Death Sentence for Frank Roque - Killer of Balbir Singh Sodhi |publisher=Korematsu.blogspot.com |date=August 15, 2006 |access-date=July 29, 2010}}</ref> The trial was aired by [[Court TV]] in a five-part series.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jim|last=Walsh|url=http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/2003/09/03/149112-killer-of-sikh-after-9-11-called-ill/|title=Killer of Sikh after 9-11 called ill|work=[[Tucson Citizen]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|location=Tucson, Arizona|date=September 3, 2003|access-date=May 15, 2018}}</ref>

==Sukhpal Singh Sodhi==
On August 4, 2002, less than a year after Balbir's death, his younger brother Sukhpal was shot to death while driving his taxicab in San Francisco, apparently killed by a stray bullet from a nearby [[gang]] fight. In response to this second tragedy, Balbir's son said, "What are you going to do with anger? We like peace and we are peaceful people."<ref name="SMART">{{cite web|first1=Judi|last1=Villa|first2=Adam|last2=Klawonn|url=http://www.sikhmediawatch.org/newsite/news/newsdetail.asp?newsid%3D50 |title=Brother of slain Valley Sikh killed in San Francisco|work=[[The Arizona Republic]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|location=Phoenix, Arizona|date=August 6, 2002|access-date=June 8, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030122220844/http://www.sikhmediawatch.org/newsite/news/newsdetail.asp?newsid=50 |archive-date=January 22, 2003 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Sikhism in the United States]]
* [[Mark Anthony Stroman]]
* [[Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting]]
* [[Anti-Middle Eastern sentiment]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*[http://www.sikhnet.com/s/BalbirSodhi Balbir Sodhi memorial page on SikhNet]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060212154732/http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=48149 ''East Valley Tribune'', "Sikhs still living in shadow of Sept. 11", Sept. 16, 2005]
*[http://www.sikhnet.com/sikhnet/news.nsf/NewsArchive/346896D867EB03EB872571D100683355 ''SikhNet'', "Two Sodhi Brothers Shot in the backlash of 9/11; Death Penalty overturned"]
*[http://www.dwf-film.com Divided We Fall, a film that features Balbir Sodhi's story]

==External links==
*[https://archive.is/20121213000224/http://www.azcorrections.gov/inmate_datasearch/results_Minh.aspx?InmateNumber=180333&LastName=ROQUE&FNMI=F&SearchType=SearchInet Arizona State Inmate file on Roque]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110716223932/http://www.supreme.state.az.us/opin/pdf2006/CR030355AP.pdf Arizona Supreme Court decision imposing life sentence on Roque]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sodhi, Balbir Singh}}
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in the United States in 2001]]
[[Category:Aftermath of the September 11 attacks]]
[[Category:Anti-Arabism in North America]]
[[Category:Anti-Muslim violence in the United States]]
[[Category:Hate crimes]]
[[Category:Anti-Indian sentiment in the United States]]
[[Category:Islam-related controversies in North America]]
[[Category:Opposition to Islam in the United States]]
[[Category:Racially motivated violence against Asian-Americans]]
[[Category:Racially motivated violence in the United States]]
[[Category:Murder in Arizona]]
[[Category:Spree shootings in the United States]]
[[Category:2001 in Arizona]]
[[Category:Racism in the United States]]
[[Category:Religion and violence]]
[[Category:Islamophobia in the United States]]
[[Category:2001 murders in the United States]]
[[Category:September 2001 crimes]]
[[Category:September 2001 events in the United States]]
[[Category:Crimes related to the September 11 attacks]]
[[Category:Deaths by person in the United States]]

Murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi - Revision history

CleanupBot: Robot: Replacing encoded entity with character

MalissaHardaway at 16:23, 4 January 2026

imported>Bohemian Baltimore: removed Category:Anti-Arabism; added Category:Anti-Arabism in North America using HotCat