Newcastle teen allegedly gunned down in popular beach car park leaves family in shock

Arminder Singh Sahni has described the moment when two police officers turned up at his family home to tell him and his wife that their son had been gunned down.

Ekampreet, 18, was allegedly murdered by a man who police say exited his vehicle, opened fire on the victim and fled the scene in a white SUV on April 23.

The teen had been hanging out at the car park of a Newcastle beach, about 10 10-minute drive from his home.

Paramedics treated the 18-year-old for a gunshot wound in his chest just before midnight, but he died at the scene.

“He was a good boy, very hard-working and caring for everyone,” Mr Sahni told AAP.

“It is still such a huge shock for us. We can’t believe he’s gone.”

Mr Sahni said he and his wife had tried calling Ekampreet several times and were worried for his safety when he did not pick up.

They had last heard from him about 10pm, and their worst fears were realised when police officers knocked on their door around 2am, hours after their son had been killed.

“He told us ‘I am coming back’ but after we didn’t hear until 11pm, I then called twice and then we got the news he was gone, the two policemen came at home and they told us,” an emotional Mr Sahni said.

The Sikh family had migrated to Sydney at the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020 to be closer to family, and had settled in Newcastle less than a year ago.

They are on a temporary 485 visa and hope to secure permanent residency, adding another layer of stress to the family as they prepare to bury their son.

Mr Sahni said Ekampreet was ambitious and studying automotive engineering with dreams of running his own business.

“He was always helpful and caring for everyone around him, from his grandparents to his younger brother.”

A scuffle between two groups of people had broken out before the shooting.

The 22-year-old alleged killer, Decklen Deaves-Thornton, was arrested in Newcastle after being on the run for two days before handing himself to police.

He appeared in court via video on April 26, charged with murder, and will appear in a Newcastle court in June.

The vehicle Mr Deaves-Thornton was allegedly driving was later found on fire in a nearby suburb.

Police described the alleged shooting as “a senseless incident” which the “community won’t stand for”.

Surrounded by friends and family, the Sahnis are preparing for their son’s funeral on Wednesday at the Beresfield Gurudwara Sahib, where hundreds of people are expected to pay tribute.

A fundraiser set up by the tight-knit Sikh community has so far raised more than $55,000 for the family.