An Indian engineer was killed and two others were injured after an American navy veteran yelling “terrorist” and “get out of my country” opened fire on them in a crowded bar in Kansas City in an apparent racially motivated hate crime.
Srinivas Kuchibhotla (32), working at GPS-maker Garmin headquarters in Olathe, died of bullet injuries in hospital while his colleague Alok Madasani was critically injured when the 51-year-old shooter started yelling hurling racial slurs following an altercation on Thursday night. A third person, an American man identified as Ian Grillot, 24, who tried to intervene also received injuries in the firing at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe.
The shooter, Adam Purinton, reportedly got into an argument with the victims in the terms of racism, and shouted “get out of my country”, “terrorist” before shooting them. Purinton reportedly provoked them into an argument asking their presence and work in his country, and how they are better than him. The slain techie was from Hyderabad.
The FBI on Friday joined the probe into the shooting of Hyderabad techie, in what is being described as the first hate murder after the Donald Trump administration took over last month. The wife of Srinivas, on Saturday said that she had her doubts about staying in the US but was assured by her husband that “good things happen in America”.
Speaking at a news conference organised by Garmin, Sunayana Dumala said reports of bias in the US make minorities afraid as she questioned “do we belong here”. She said she now wonders what will the US government do to stop hate crimes against minorities.
DC Take: Donald Trump was nowhere near Kansas City, but the blame is invariably on the President for creating a situation of fear, nay terror in reverse form, in the US by his campaign that whipped up anti-immigrant feelings. Its casualty tragically turned out to be two hapless natives of Hyderabad who, it appears, were mistaken for Middle-Easterners. Not just Indians, but the entire world is aghast at the turn of events in the “Land of Opportunities.” Questions arose, rightly so, “Is this the way Trump is going to Make America Great?” — quoting a catch-phrase from his high-voltage campaign. The U.S. would do well to engage the talents at hand, who went in there from near and far, rather than spreading the evil of hatred.
