By Kashmira Konduparty
An Indian professional from Telangana was shot in Philadelphia after responding to a late-night pizza delivery order. The incident occurred shortly after he delivered food to what investigators later discovered was a vacant apartment. The killing has sparked outrage among Indian students and immigrant communities in the United States.
The victim, Anshul Kuncha, a 28-year-old Indian professional was working in a multinationa company in the U.S. while working part-time as a pizza delivery driver on the weekends. According to Philadelphia police, Kuncha was delivering an order shortly after midnight when he was shot near the Raymond Rosen Homes housing complex in North Philadelphia.
Investigators later determined that the address linked to the order was a vacant unit, prompting questions about whether the delivery request had been used to lure him to the location.
READ: Indian student killed after pizza delivery in Philadelphia (June 7, 2026)
Authorities said Kuncha was found with a gunshot wound to the head and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No arrests have been announced at the time of this article and police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
According to reports, there was no clear indication of robbery and the fact that the delivery was directed to an unoccupied apartment has fueled concerns about the motive behind the attack.
The case has drawn widespread attention within the Indian American community and among international students across the community. Pranav Marla, who claimed to be a “close friend” of Kuncha, took to X to voice his grief.
“[Anshul] was possibly the sweetest person you could ever meet. the life of the party. always making you laugh. always with a smile on his face. He was killed in cold blood. shot point blank right behind the neck. HE WAS MURDERED FOR FUCKING NOTHING,” Marla wrote.
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When a netizen asked Marla why his friend had taken up such a “risky” job, he responded “[Anshul] loved driving around. he felt isolated at home so he would spend a lot of time in his car. everyone who knew him, knew this about him.”
The Consulate General of India in New York expressed condolences to Kuncha’s family and said it was in contact with local authorities while providing assistance to relatives. Indian officials said they were closely monitoring developments in the investigation.
The tragedy has renewed discussions about the safety of international students and young professionals who rely on gig-economy employment and service-sector jobs to support themselves while studying or living abroad.