A year has passed since 18-year-old Ekampreet Singh Sahni was fatally shot at Bar Beach, yet for his family, the pain remains as fresh as ever. On Thursday, his parents, Jasmeen and Amrinder Sahni, returned to the car park where their son was killed on April 23 last year, marking the first anniversary of the senseless tragedy.
“It feels like it happened yesterday. It’s very hard at this moment, and we have come here together for the first anniversary of Ekam,” Mr Sahni said. “We miss him all the time, and we are struggling to forget. It’s very hard. We come here so we never forget.”
Since Ekam’s death, the Sahni family relocated to Sydney, as Newcastle held memories too painful to revisit. Friends and family gathered with them on the anniversary, offering support and prayers as the wind swept along the coast and sunlight broke through the clouds.
Community Support and Faith
Among those present was Gaagan Singh, who noted that even now, emotions run high. “Being a parent, it’s very, very hard to accept. We know it’s a reality, but it’s very hard to accept. It’s a bitter truth,” he said. “That’s why they couldn’t live in Newcastle anymore. They couldn’t cope with the emotional breakdown they have every time. They go through the same scenario again and again.”
Faith has been a cornerstone for the Sahnis in coping with their grief. The Newcastle Sikh Association continues to pray for them regularly at the temple. Another friend, who wished to remain anonymous, remembered Ekam as a “very loving and very good child.” He added, “Australia is a place of dreams for a lot of immigrants. Ekam had those big dreams in his eyes.”
The Night of the Shooting
Minutes before midnight on April 23, 2025, paramedics fought to save Ekam’s life after he was shot in the torso. He died at the scene. Ekam was a hardworking young man with a bright future, known for his independence and love of cars. He was dedicated to his job collecting trolleys at Harris Farm and often helped his parents by taking his younger brother Arjun to and from school and caring for him while his mother worked at a restaurant.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings
The family attends court each time their son’s case is mentioned. Prosecutors have finalized charges against two men accused of murdering Ekam. Accused gunman Decklen Deaves-Thornton, 22, and alleged getaway driver Jack Kennedy, 25, are scheduled to face court again next month. A third man, 18-year-old Ja’Rell Warren De Jong, who was arrested by Strike Force Bolwarra investigators in August, will also appear.
As the family continues to wait for justice, their grief remains a constant presence. “We miss him all the time,” Mr Sahni said, echoing the sentiment that time has not healed their wound, only deepened it.
