“Good Things happen in America,” was the response of the Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla when his wife expressed doubts whether they should stay in United States due to the shooting incidents in the country.
Srinivas was shot dead on February 23 by a US Navy veteran in an apparent hate crime at a bar in Olathe city of Kansas.
“He did not deserve a death like this,” said Sunayana Dumala during a news conference organised by GPS-maker Garmin where her husband Srinivas worked.
She said she now wonders what will the US government do to stop hate crimes against minorities.
Talking about reports of bias in the US that make minorities afraid, she also questioned “do we belong here.”
“I don’t know what to say. We’ve read many times in newspapers of some kind of shooting happening somewhere. I was always concerned, ‘Are we doing the right thing staying in the U.S. or America?’ But he always assured me good things happen in America,” Dumala said.
Alok Madasani, the other Indian techie, injured in the shooting on Wednesday night is now stable and has been discharged from the hospital.
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 in Kansas City in the US state of Missouri.
A University of Kansas Hospital spokeswoman said he is in fair condition.
The incident evoked outrage from in the US and India with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressing shock over the incident.
“I am shocked at the shooting incident in Kansas in which Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been killed. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family,” she said in a tweet yesterday.
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.
He reportedly provoked them into an argument asking about their presence and work in his country, and how they are better than him. She said she now wonders what will the US government do to stop hate crimes against minorities.
