Philadelphia police have announced a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the killing of Anshul Kuncha, a 28-year-old Indian man from Telangana, who was shot and killed while delivering pizza to a vacant property in North Philadelphia.Concha was killed shortly after 12.30pm on Friday after responding to a fake extradition order. He was delivering three pizzas to a vacant apartment in the Raymond Rosen Homes apartment complex on Edgley Street when he was shot in the back of the head.Officers found him unresponsive and bleeding heavily at the scene. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at around 12.43am.No arrests have been made so far. However, police said they have obtained the phone number used to order the pizza and are currently working to find the caller.According to Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small, surveillance footage showed two people wearing dark clothing following Concha as he walked from his car toward the property. Three spent shell casings were recovered just inches from where he was found, indicating that the gunman was standing nearby when the shots were fired.The pizza was later found untouched inside the vacant apartment.
The police did not determine the motive behind the crime, and his family members say that nothing was stolen from him.Concha hails from Hyderabad and has been living in the United States for nearly four years. After completing his B.Tech in Hyderabad, he moved to the US to pursue his master’s degree. He later got a job at KWC and worked part-time as a pizza delivery driver on weekends to earn extra income.His family believes he was deliberately lured to the site.“It was a trap, meant only to kill him,” his sister Tanvi said.She added: “He was asked to deliver pizza in a deserted area, but we later learned that it was a hoax. There was no one there. We do not know what they gained or what their intentions were. They took my brother and killed him.”According to the family, Concha had previously been robbed in the United States, losing his chain, phone and money, but he had never faced such a serious attack before.
Two masked men carrying backpacks were seen near the area at the time of the shooting.Tanvi called for her brother’s body to be returned quickly to India and called for justice.“My brother was in the US for almost four years. We learned that he was trapped by a fake pizza delivery order and was shot dead. Our only request is to bring his body back to India as soon as possible,” she said.In an emotional message, she also urged parents to think carefully before sending their children abroad.“My brother was a very loving and cheerful person,” she said. “He had no real reason to go to the United States, but we sent him anyway. He didn’t want to go either, but he did, and look where it got him. Don’t send your children to the United States.”The Consulate General of India in New York expressed its condolences to the family and said it was in contact with local authorities.“We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of Mr. Anshul Kuncha, an Indian national in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to his family during this difficult time. The Consulate is in contact with Anshul’s family and is offering all possible assistance,” she said in a post on X.
