Indian Shot Dead At The US, Racially Motivated Attacker Shouted “Get Out Of My Country”

32-yr-old Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an engineer from Hyderabad, was killed when a man opened fired at him and his friend from Warangal, at a bar in the state of Kansas City in the US. The incident happened on Wednesday night when the attacker, a 51-yr-old Navy veteran, allegedly yelled at them to get out of their country before opening fire.

Mr Kuchibhotla died on the spot just after he was shot. His friend Alok Madasani, also a 32-yr-old engineer sustained injuries and was admitted to hospital. He has been discharged from the hospital now. Another 24-yr-old man, Ian Grillot, who tried to stop the shooter was also shot but doctors are hoping that he will survive.

How the incident unfolded
The incident took place at Olathe town in Kansas at around 7.15 pm local time, when Mr Kuchibhotla and Mr Madasani met for a drink after work at a neighbourhood bar. It is then that the shooter, Adam Purinton, started shouting racial comments aimed at them. He allegedly called the two “middle eastern” and yelled, “get out of my country” before shooting multiple rounds of bullets at the two men.

Purinton fled the scene right after the shooting, but he was caught some 124 km away in Missouri after five hours where he told the staffer at a local bar that he had shot two middle-eastern men. The bartender immediately called the local police and reported about it. The police came and arrested Purinton over charges of premeditated first-degree murder and premeditated attempted murder.

About the Victims
Mr Kuchibhotla was working as an aviation engineer at a company called Garmin. Hailing from Hyderabad, he completed his BTech degree in electrical and electronics in 2005 and later earned his master’s degree for the same at the University of Texas, El Paso.

After the report of Mr Kuchibhotla’s death, a GoFundMe page was set up to help his family. As of 10.30 pm on 24 February, $238,406 has been raised.

Mr Madasani was a co-worker of Mr Kuchibothla at Garmin. He graduated from Vasavi College of Engineering in India before moving to the U.S. to study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Reacting to the incident, the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted, “I am shocked at the shooting incident in Kansas in which Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been killed. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family.” She added, “We will provide all help and assistance to the bereaved family.”

I am shocked at the shooting incident in Kansas in which Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been killed. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) February 24, 2017

She has reached out to the families of the victims and is in touch with the Indian Embassy. The Embassy has sent two officials of the Indian Consulate in Houston to Kansas to help them further.

The Logical Indian is appalled at how racial hatred is looming large in the US — that is considered to be the most powerful nation in today’s world. There’s a growing insecurity among the people triggered by xenophobia, which should be addressed and people should be willing to accept every race, culture and religion to progress forward. Many reports in recent times have surfaced from the US about Muslims, Mexicans, Hispanics or people having similar physical appearance being constantly threatened and bullied.

The political narrative of the country is being dictated by words of hatred towards people of other races and religions — clearly creating a division between all the groups. And these perspectives are being reflected among the people of the country who are growing intolerant towards other races.

In the era of globalisation, where the lines of religion and race are falling apart to progress together, the politics in major countries are practising the doctrine of divide and rule. It is high time that every country should embrace and help people of different culture and race and progress towards the practice of free thinking. Let us not generalise everyone and give chance to peace and love.