Indian-student shot dead in US restaurant, police rule out hate-crime
What's the story
On Friday evening (local time), an Indian student was shot by miscreants inside a restaurant in United States' Kansas City. The deceased identified as Sharath Koppu was pursuing masters in software engineering at the University of Missouri, and also worked part-time at the restaurant. The local police department said no one has been taken into custody but the investigation is underway.
What happened
Gunman wanted money, when Koppu ran, he shot him
The unidentified gunman wanted money and took out a gun. Koppu then ran away from the suspect and was shot in the back. At the time of the incident, there were about 3-4 customers at the restaurant. Some employees were behind the counter. Koppu was discovered lying in a pool of blood and was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The investigation
Police ruled out possibility of hate-crime for now
Witnesses at the nearby motel said they heard at least five gunshots, but it couldn't be established if more than one assailant was involved. A police officer probing the death said it looked like a case of attempted robbery and the angle of hate crime was being ruled out for now. The death of 26-year-old Koppu was confirmed by the Indian consulate in Chicago.
"A good soul"
Koppu's cousin started GoFundMe account in his memory
Koppu's colleague at J's Fish and Chicken broke down and said he didn't even get a chance to bid goodbye to his parents. His cousin Raghu Chowdavaram started a GoFundMe account to raise funds for Koppu's body to be returned to India. Over $25,000 was raised in three hours. "He was always eager to lend a helping hand," Chowdavaram wrote describing Koppu.
Details
Meanwhile, in Telangana grief takes over Koppu's family
Koppu hailed from Warangal district of Telangana and his devastated father Rammohan Koppu said he was informed on Saturday that his son was wounded. "Two of my son's friends escaped the bullets. My son tried to run away and they shot him from behind," he said. He revealed Koppu moved to the US in January 2018, after graduating from Vasavi Engineering College in Hyderabad.
The aftermath
Family writes to Sushma Swaraj for help
Seeking more details about the incident, Rammohan, his wife Malathi and other relatives, met Telangana police chief M Mahender Reddy last night. They have also sent letters to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asking for help. The Indian Consulate sent their condolences to the family and promised assistance to them in a tweet.