Ethan Sandhu was shot and killed at 2:50 p.m. on June 1, 2021, in St. Louis, Missouri. Ethan was unarmed, and his life was taken just eight days after he graduated from high school. In the fall, he’d planned to attend university on music and academic scholarships. His college essay was a beautifully written description of his will to live and hope for his future.
After facing discrimination in his own life, he advocated for justice so that others would not have to experience what he did. He was outspoken against voter suppression and for workers’ rights, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ people. Ethan was hilarious, kind, empathetic, beautiful and brilliant. Ethan loved music, nature, learning, cooking and mycology. He could quickly learn any instrument he picked up. Ethan was also an excellent cyclist, competing in a triathlon at age 14 and winning his age group. He loved his dog Peanut. As the youngest among his three siblings and six cousins, he was adored by his family.
At 10 a.m. on June 4, 2021, Ethan was laid to rest, wrapped in a linen shroud, in a bed of flowers — a green burial that reflected his respect for nature — at Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.