Investigators may seek murder indictment in Cincinnati shooting of Indian-American

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A grand jury had earlier indicted Broderick Malik Jones Roberts, a black man suspected in the May 12 shooting of S. Jaspreet Singh Uppal in Cincinnati, Ohio, but with the Indian-American victim’s death May 21, from the wounds, investigators are now going to ask for a murder indictment, according to news reports.

Malik Jones is accused of shooting Uppal while he was sitting in his vehicle on the night of May 12. Uppal, who leaves behind his wife and children, was taken off life support May 21.

According to the Journal-news.com news site, the bond on Jones Roberts was increased to $1 million on May 24, and investigators are now seeking a murder indictment against the suspect. Jones Roberts was indicted the week before for aggravated robbery, felonious assault and having weapons under disability.

Commenting on the tragic incident, the organization United Sikhs tweeted May 21, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of S. Jaspreet Singh, the victim of a felonious assault at the hands of an armed criminal one week ago in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jaspreet was our beloved volunteer. UNITED SIKHS will work to ensure justice is served for his family.”

According to news reports, including one in Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio police arrested Malik Jones soon after the shooting, and investigators said he was the only shooter in a drive-by incident in the 500 block of East Avenue. Uppal was taken to a hospital in Fort Hamilton and then airlifted to Miami Valley Hospital, according to news reports.

World Sikh News reported that the 32-year old Uppal, a truck driver, hailed from Nadala village near Kapurthala in Punjab. He died after 10 days of struggling to live, WSN said.

“He was very well know and well liked in the Sikh community,” Manjinder Singh, a friend of Uppal, is quoted saying in the WSN article. Jaspreet Singh was active at the Guru Nanak Society in West Chester Twp., his friend added.

The Dayton Daily News reported that Police Chief Craig Bucheit, in a comment on social media May 13, said the police worked through the night to find Jones Roberts. Bucheit said, “#UPDATE: Shooter Arrested. Investigators @HamiltonOhioPD worked through the night to hunt down suspect. Invaluable assistance rendered by residents and witnesses demonstrates power of cooperation in keeping our community safe. https://twitter.com/journalnews/status/995545507161403392 … 2:57 PM – May 13, 2018

According to the Dayton Daily News quoting from Butler County court records, Roberts was imprisoned in 2016 after he pleaded guilty to trespass, unlawful restraint and assault.