India has expressed shock after the fatal shooting of an Indian national in the US, amid reports that the attack may have been racially motivated.
Srinivas Kuchibhotla Photo: LinkedIn
Srinivas Kuchibhotla died shortly after Wednesday's attack at a bar in Olathe, Kansas. His friend Alok Madasani, also from India, and an American were hurt.
Adam Purinton has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder
The killing dominated news bulletins in India and social media, where some blamed Donald Trump's presidency.
The FBI is now investigating possible motives for the crime at Austins Bar and Grill, with race among them. A bystander told the Kansas City Star that just before opening fire the gunman shouted: "Get out of my country."
A barman also told local media that the attacker used racial slurs before opening fire on Wednesday night.
The suspect allegedly fled on foot and was arrested five hours later at a restaurant just over the state border, 130km away in Clinton, Missouri.
Victim's parents stunned
Mr Kuchibhotla was from the Indian city of Hyderabad. His parents, Madhusudhan Rao and Vardhini Rao, were too stunned by news of his death to comment, the Associated Press reported.
Mr Madasani's father, Jaganmohan Reddy, called it a hate crime, saying that such incidents had increased in number following the election of Donald Trump.
After the shooting, Indian actor Siddharth tweeted to his 2.6 million followers: "Don't be shocked! Be angry! Trump is spreading hate. This is a hate crime! RIP #SrinivasKuchibhotla."
India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said she "conveyed my condolences to the family" of the victim, assuring that "all help and assistance" would be provided.
The foreign ministry said two Indian consulate officials from Houston and Dallas had already been sent to Kansas City to meet Mr Madasani and arrange the repatriation of Mr Kuchibhotla's body.
The US Embassy in Delhi decried the shooting.
"The United States is a nation of immigrants and welcomes people from across the world to visit, work, study, and live," said Charge d'Affaires MaryKay Carlson.
"US authorities will investigate thoroughly and prosecute the case, though we recognise that justice is small consolation to families in grief."
'I did what was naturally right to do'
Mr Kuchibhotla, 32, and Mr Madasani, also 32, were engineers at US technology company Garmin and studied in India, according to their social media profiles.
Garmin confirmed the two men worked at the company, and said in a statement it was devastated by what it described as a senseless tragedy.
"Srinivas was a valued member of our engineering team and will be greatly missed."
Mr Madasani has now been released from hospital.
The other injured man, Ian Grillot, 24, had apparently intervened to stop the violence, according to witnesses.
Speaking from his hospital bed to local TV News channel KBMC, he brushed aside suggestions that he was a hero.
"I was just doing what anyone should have done for another human being," he said. "It's not about where he's from or his ethnicity.
"We're all humans. So I just felt I did what was naturally right to do."
Mr Purinton, 51, is accused of shooting customers at the crowded bar as they watched the University of Kansas basketball team play on television.
- BBC / RNZ
