Sikh truck driver attacked days after federal “Mr. Singh” messaging draws outrage

Authorities have not cited a motive in the Wyoming stabbing, but Sikh advocates say it cannot be separated from recent federal messaging

PGurus Newsdesk

September 18, 2026

A Sikh truck driver was stabbed multiple times in Wyoming days after a DHS post using the name "Mr. Singh" sparked community backlash

No confirmed motive, but a community on edge: the Wyoming trucker stabbing, explained

A 28-year-old Punjabi Sikh truck driver from Sacramento, California, was stabbed multiple times — reportedly around 17 times — in an unprovoked attack at the Bitter Creek Rest Area on Interstate 80 in Wyoming on September 13. The driver, identified in reports only by his surname Singh at his own request due to safety concerns, was travelling to Pennsylvania when he stopped to use the restroom. In an account given to NPR, Singh said a man followed him inside, struck him in the head, then pulled out a knife and stabbed him repeatedly across his body, including his neck, chest and ribs. He remained hospitalised as of Wednesday night. Local authorities arrested 45-year-old Andrew Kris Bzdak and charged him with attempted first-degree murder; charging documents did not state a motive, and the Sheriff’s Office has said none is known at this time.

The DHS Post That Preceded It

The attack came just days after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted a social media image reading, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh.” DHS told NPR the post referenced Harjinder Singh, an Indian immigrant truck driver accused of causing a fatal crash in Florida in 2025 after making an illegal U-turn, calling him “an illegal alien from India who should never have been in our country.” The post drew swift criticism from Sikh, Hindu and Indian-American organisations — including the Sikh Coalition, American Sikh Council and Hindu American Foundation — who argued it risked dehumanising an entire community given how common the surname Singh is among Sikhs. Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was among the US lawmakers who criticised the messaging, warning it could encourage profiling based on appearance or surname. DHS removed the post the following day.

No Confirmed Link, But A Community On Edge

Authorities have not established any connection between the DHS post and the Wyoming stabbing, and no motive has been officially cited. Still, advocates argue the two events can’t be entirely separated. Attorney Jasjit Singh said the Sheriff’s Office has found no known motive so far, but that “we cannot separate this incident from the climate in which it happened.” Singh himself, speaking from his hospital room, said he didn’t know why he was attacked, but pointed to the broader anxiety the government messaging had already stirred: “When our own federal government uses a Sikh name and image to tell people like us that they do not belong on America’s roads, our community has every reason to be concerned about the environment that kind of rhetoric creates.”

A Wider Ripple Effect

Sikh organisations, including the American Sikh Council and the Jakara Movement, have called for a full investigation into whether racial or religious bias played a role in the attack. Raman Dhillon, head of the North American Punjabi Trucking Association, said drivers across the industry have since reached out to him expressing concern for their own safety on the road.

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