Hundreds Gather in Fairfield to Mourn Slain Jeweler and Demand Justice
Roughly 200 people held a vigil outside the shuttered jewelry store of Tara Sinchuri, a Bhutanese community leader killed during a robbery, as the shooter remains at large.
By Ananya Gupta ·
Friends, relatives and neighbors gathered outside a Fairfield, Ohio, jewelry store on Friday to remember its owner, Tara Sinchuri, a leader in the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community. The vigil came three days after Fairfield Police said a robbery at the business ended in gunfire and Sinchuri's death.
Sinchuri's family covered the store's bullet-shattered window with a sheet. In front of it they placed candles, flowers and a portrait of him, creating a makeshift memorial.
Sinchuri's nephew, Anish Sinchuri, said the crowd of about 200 people reflected how much his uncle meant to the community. "Not only just in Ohio but in the entire United States, he has been an influence on our community. He has provided for those in need," Anish said.
He described his uncle as a fun-loving and giving person who served as a pillar of the community. "What has happened to him is gruesome. It is crazy. It's absolutely shocking for our family, our entire family," he said.
Grief was mixed with unease among those gathered. Mourners, along with nearby business owners and workers, know the shooter has not been caught. Tara Dahal, a longtime friend of Sinchuri, said other entrepreneurs who witnessed the events are frightened. "They don't feel safety, and it has been around three days," Dahal said.
Organizers framed the vigil as a call for justice as much as a chance for people to begin healing.
The FBI's Cincinnati office said it has been in contact with Fairfield Police about the fatal shooting, and that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has offered assistance. The FBI said it had no additional details to release on Friday.
Anish said the family trusts investigators. "We respect our law enforcement workers, and we believe in them," he said. "We have faith in them, and we hope they can deliver justice to our uncle and our families as soon as possible."
The Sinchuri family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover expenses. Anyone with information that could help police identify the shooter is asked to call Fairfield Police at (513) 829-8201. Tips can also be left anonymously with Crime Stoppers at (513) 352-3040.
Source: WCPO 9
