Adrian Hedden

The Republic | azcentral.com

At 36 years old, it was as if life was just beginning for Amanjeet Singh "Sonny" Toor.

His wife, Kamaldeep Kaur, had finally made the move four months ago to Phoenix from India, six years after his own immigration journey.

Toor was friendly, happy and hard-working. Even his customers at the 7-Eleven where he worked thought so.

"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."

Toor was shot dead early Monday by a masked man during an armed robbery at the convenience store, 1601 E. Southern Ave., in Phoenix. After moving Toor and another employee into a backroom, the robber shot Toor after a struggle for the gun, police said. The assailant then chased the other employee out of the store before returning to grab a bag of unknown contents, police said.

Gill was among the family and friends who met with reporters Thursday morning at Phoenix police headquarters to plead for the public's help to find Toor's killer. He said he spoke with customers about Toor the day after his murder.

"This was a very hard loss for us. He was a role model for most of us," Gill said, as Toor's widow sat nearby, tears shining on her cheeks. "Sonny was very well-liked, even by the customers. They said he was always joyous. He never got angry about anything."

Phoenix police didn't publicly identify Toor as the victim until Thursday, when they also released snippets of surveillance video taken during the robbery. The 7-Eleven Corp. has raised the award to $11,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.

'We are still not treated right'

A Sikh man from India, Toor was part of a community of about 2,500 to 3,000 Sikh families in the Phoenix metro area.

Rana Singh Sodhi, a Sikh and community activist, spoke on behalf of 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."

Sodhi's brother was killed in a hate crime in Mesa just four days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack on the World Trade Center.

Sgt. Vincent Lewis said police were unsure if Toor's ethnicity was related to the attack.

Sikh men are often targeted mistakenly as Muslims because of the traditional turban many adults wear. In Sikh culture, Sodhi said, the turban is a sign of trust and respect. He said he was frustrated that understanding about Sikhs has not grown in the years since the terror attacks.

Traditionally, Sikhs do not cut their hair for religious reasons, believing that keeping hair unshorn is a sign of respect for the perfection of God's creation. Some modern Sikhs, like Toor, abandon the turban and long hair.

"Fifteen years later and we are still not treated right," Sodhi said. "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."

"I can't know what (the killer) was thinking, but I am still working at my gas station, and we see this," Sodhi said. "The community needs to come up. Somebody must know. We are peace-loving. We stand for justice. That's what makes us Sikh."

Officials seek public help

Police described the shooter as male, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, face mask and red gloves.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Phoenix Police Department or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377), or for Spanish, 480-TESTIGO (480-837-8446). Callers can remain anonymous.

"This is a request for public assistance in the investigation of a homicide robbery," said Phoenix police Officer Vincent Lewis.

The store where Toor worked is collecting donations for the family.