An Indian engineer was shot dead and two others were injured in what appears to be a hate crime incident in Olathe city, Kansas on Wednesday night (22 Feb).
Srinivas Kuchibhotla working at the Garmin headquarters in Olathe was shot dead, while an another Indian and his colleague Alok Madasani was injured in the shooting and currently, he is admitted in a local hospital in critical stage.
According the reports Srinivas and Alok were in a bar when the killer identified as Adam Purinton confronted them with racial abuses and yelled “Get out of my country” before opening fire. Another man injured in the shooting has been identified as Ian Grillot.
51-year-old Adam Purinton is a navy veteran was arrested on Thursday morning, five years after the incident.
Olathe Police chief Steven Menke said “it was a tragic, senseless act of violence.”
Srinivas was from Hyderabad, he completed his B. Tech in electrical and electronics engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU). He had a master’s degree from the University of Texas El Paso.
Two Indian officials from the consulate in Huston are in Olathe, to assist the victims and help the investigation. FBI is the investigation on the case from all angels, including the possibility that the crimes was motivated by racial hatred, a spokesperson of the Indian embassy said.
“We’re saddened that two Garmin associates were involved in (the Feb. 22) incident, and we express our condolences to the family and friends of our co-workers involved,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
The hate crime has sent shock waves among the Indian communities across the United States.
The Director of Hindu American Foundation Jay Kansara said that the community’s thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Srinivas.
He also said, that they are praying for a speedy recovery for the injured. HAF has urged the U.S. Department of Justice and local law enforcement to investigate the crime as what it seems to be a hate crime.
An online page has been setup to help raise funds for sending Srinivas remains to India.
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AMandeep
