US Sikh driver stabbed 17 times: Attack sparks fresh concerns after 'Mr Singh' DHS post

A 28-year-old Punjabi Sikh truck driver was stabbed 17 times at a rest area in Wyoming, United States, leaving him hospitalised with injuries to his neck, chest, arms and ribs.

The attack took place days after a controversial US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) social media post featuring a Sikh man identified as “Mr Singh” and urging him to “get off our roads” and “self-deport or find out.”

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Singh said the attacker first beat him before pulling out a knife and stabbing him repeatedly. He managed to escape the restroom but collapsed outside while bleeding heavily and called for help. A Hispanic family at the rest stop heard his cries, came to his assistance and helped him get medical attention.

“They gave me second life,” Singh said, thanking the family for helping him after the attack.

Suspect arrested, motive not established

Authorities arrested 45-year-old Andrew Kris Bzdak in connection with the stabbing. He has been charged with attempted first-degree murder. Charging documents cited by NPR do not establish a motive for the attack, and authorities have not said that Singh was targeted because of his race, religion or immigration status.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol reportedly located the suspect's vehicle near Rawlins, around 113 km from the rest area, and took him into custody.

Singh, who has worked as a commercial truck driver for about three years, said the incident has left him concerned about the safety of other Punjabi Sikh drivers travelling across the US.

“I don't know why this happened. I don't know why they attack me,” Singh told NPR from his hospital bed.

Raja Krishnamoorthi condemns attack

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi condemned the stabbing and expressed concern about what he described as growing hostility towards Sikh and South Asian Americans.

In a post on X, Krishnamoorthi wrote, “I’m horrified by the brutal attack on a Sikh truck driver who was stabbed 17 times at a Wyoming rest stop. This comes amid rising hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans, with even the Trump Department of Homeland Security recently posting a racist caricature of a Sikh truck driver telling him to ‘get off our roads’ and ‘self-deport or find out.’”

Krishnamoorthi also expressed concern for Singh's recovery and thanked the family that helped him after the stabbing.

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Attack comes amid controversy over DHS post

The stabbing has drawn attention because it occurred shortly after the DHS shared an AI-generated immigration graphic featuring a Sikh-looking man identified as “Mr Singh”. The post told the fictional character to “get off our roads” and “self-deport or find out”. The post was later removed.