Big Bahadur Gurung

Big Bahadur Gurung, a 20-year-old Bhutanese-Nepali refugee, had been in the United States for only two months, seeking safety and a new beginning after spending years in a refugee camp. His hopes for a new life were tragically cut short on the night of August 23, 2011, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was on the verge of starting a new job the very next day, a milestone that symbolized the promise of his future.

That evening, Gurung and his 17-year-old nephew were walking along Bowleys Lane in the northeast part of the city when they were confronted by an armed robber. The assailant first shot Gurung's nephew. In a courageous act, Gurung attempted to wrestle the gun away from the attacker but was shot in the chest during the struggle. His nephew was critically injured but survived the ordeal.

Emergency services were called to the Parkside Gardens apartments around 10:12 p.m., where they found both victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Big Bahadur Gurung was pronounced dead at the scene. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Baltimore police investigated the incident, noting that it was part of a concerning series of crimes targeting the city's growing Nepalese and Bhutanese communities. Despite their efforts and appeals to the public for information, no arrests were made in the days following the murder. The case remains unsolved, with no publicly identified suspects in the shooting death of a young man who had come to America in search of peace and opportunity.