SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Kansas residents reeled on Friday as a shooting at a bar, which left one Indian engineer dead and one other wounded, escalated into an international incident amid fears the attack was fueled by bias and hatred.
Authorities, including the F.B.I., are investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime. India’s government expressed shock over the incident that took place in suburban Kansas.
In New Delhi, the shooting raises concerns over how foreigners visiting the U.S. could be treated, where President Donald Trump has made cracking down on immigration matters one of his administration’s largest goals early on. The shooting took place around 7:15 pm Wednesday at a bar in Kansas City.
At least one witness said that the gunman, who has been identified by authorities as 51-year-old Navy veteran Adam Purinton, who allegedly yelled “get out of my country” before opening fire, according to a report from The Kansas City Star. A bartender in nearby Clinton, Mo., where Purinton was captured, said he had heard Purinton say he had killed two Middle Eastern men.
A 24-year-old American man who tried to intervene after he reportedly heard the gunman fire 9 shots at the victims was also shot, he was hospitalized as a result.
Purinton was charged Thursday with a single count of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder. The federal government could additionally bring civil rights charges against him. He is being held on $2 million bond.
“Our role in this investigation is to work jointly with local law enforcement to determine if an individual’s civil rights were violated,” said Eric K. Jackson, the special agent in charge of the F.B.I.’s field office in Kansas City, Mo. “It’s not uncommon for hate crime investigations to be conducted jointly by the F.B.I. and local law enforcement and prosecuted under the state law.”
The Indian nation who was shot dead, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, worked for Garmin, a GPS navigation and communications device company. The wounded Indian man, Alok Madasani, also worked for Garmin, according to the Indian government. The men were in their early 30s.
The Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. reacted to the shootings Friday, issuing a statement condemning the actions and saying they’re closely monitoring the situation.
India’s foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj, said on Friday on Twitter: “I am shocked at the shooting incident in Kansas in which Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been killed. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family.” Swaraj said she had spoken to Kuchibhotla’s father and brother, who live in Hyderabad, India.
Senior Director and Human Rights fellow at the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), Samir Kalra exclusively told Diya TV, HAF is “hoping to work with the authorities, to have the suspect either charged with hate crime or at least classify it as such” And if it is, this would be the first hate crime fatality since the elections in November.
Deepti Dawar contributed to this report.
