A 28-year-old man from Telangana was shot dead in the US in a suspected targeted attack while he was delivering pizza late at night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early hours of Saturday (local time), his family members said on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Kuncha Anshul, was a resident of Gundlapochampalli in Medchal-Malkajgiri district on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Local media reports in Pennsylvania, citing police, said Anshul was shot and killed in the early hours of June 6 while delivering pizza to a vacant unit in a crime-ridden North Philadelphia apartment complex.
“He was found shot at close range in the head. A young Indian student who was working late at night to support his studies was shot dead after arriving at an empty address,” the report said.
Anshul’s sister Tanvi told reporters at her residence that after graduating in engineering from a college in Hyderabad, he moved to the US in 2023 to pursue a master’s degree in business administration. After completing his studies, he got a job in a multinational company.
“He resided in North Philadelphia. To supplement his income, Anshul worked part-time as a pizza delivery executive on weekends,” she said.
According to information received by his parents, Kuncha Srinivas and Neelima, late Saturday night, Anshul received an order to deliver three pizzas to an apartment unit at the Raymond Rosen Homes complex on Edge Street in North Philadelphia.
“He is said to have arrived at the location around 12:30 am and proceeded to complete the delivery. Moments after he entered the building, two unidentified assailants wearing balaclavas shot him at close range,” Tanvi said.
Anshul was seriously injured by a gunshot wound to the back of his head and collapsed immediately. Passersby later noticed him and notified emergency services, but he died from his injuries.
According to local media reports, police recovered three bullets from the crime scene and began an intensive investigation. Preliminary findings indicate that the pizza order may have been placed for a vacant apartment, prompting investigators to examine whether the delivery order was intentionally used to lure people to the location. The authorities are also tracking the phone number and other details related to the matter.
CCTV footage showed two people following Anshul before the shooting, strengthening suspicions that the attack may have been planned in advance. Investigators are working to identify the suspects and determine the motive behind the killing.
Family members strongly rejected the possibility of a robbery-related crime. They pointed out that the attackers did not take any money, valuables or personal belongings from Anshul after the attack.
“This was not a robbery. It appears to have been a deliberate plan to kill him,” Tanvi said, alleging that the fake pizza order was part of a carefully orchestrated trap. “It was a death trap, specifically designed to target my brother,” she said.
She said that the miscreants sent him to a deserted place under the pretext of delivering pizza. She added: “We later learned that no one was actually there. It was a trap set to kill him. We don’t know who was behind it or what they gained by killing him.”
Tanvi also revealed that Anshul was previously the victim of a robbery in the US, during which his gold chain, mobile phone and money were stolen. But they said he had never suffered a life-threatening attack before or since.
Expressing her anguish over her brother’s death, Tanvi appealed to the central and state governments to facilitate the return of Anshul’s mortal remains to India. It also urged the authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
In an emotional appeal, she warned parents against sending their children abroad without fully understanding the risks involved.
She said: “My brother was a loving and cheerful person. He did not even want to go to America at first, but we encouraged him. Today we lost him. I ask parents to think carefully before sending their children abroad.”
She said that the Consulate General of India had assured them that it was coordinating with local authorities to return Anshul’s remains home within a day or two.
