Olathe, Kansas: Alok Madasani, the 32-year-old Indian engineer who survived the shooting in a bar said on Sunday, “I wish it was a dream” The Kansas City Star reported.
“It’s hard to believe he is not with me, not with us anymore. What happened that night was a senseless crime that took away my best friend. It is something we all wish didn’t happen, but it happened, Madasani said.
Madasani’s friend and co-worker, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed in the shooting at Austins Bar and Grill.
“The main reason why I am here is that’s what my best friend, Srinivas, would have done,” Madasani said. “He would have been here for me.”
Madasani and Kuchibhotla both worked for GPS device-maker Garmin. At the vigil, Madasani recalled how Kuchibhotla never complained about picking him up and driving him to work over a six-month period. “He waited till I bought a car. That’s the kind of guy he was - is,” Madasani said.
Madasani called the shooting “an isolated incident that doesn’t reflect the true spirit of Kansas, the Midwest and the United States.” That drew applause from the audience at the vigil. Olathe Mayor Mike Copeland said, “When you grieve, we all grieve. We will not let one act of evil separate us or divide us.”
