Balbir Singh Sodhi ( 1949 &ndash; September 15 , 2001 ) , a Sikh-American gas station owner 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 wore a beard and a turban in accordance with his Sikh faith , was mistaken for 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 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 . Roque was sentenced to death ( commuted later to life imprisonment ) for first degree murder
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi