TRAGIC! 25-year-old Indian shot dead in the US; heartbroken father says `told him not to go`

Maryland (US): In a shocking development that came to light earlier this week, a 25-year-old Indian national was shot dead in Maryland in the US. The deceased, Sai Charan Nakka, a native of Telangana, graduated from the University of Cincinnati in January of 2022.  After he was shot, Sai Charan Nakka was taken to the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead after a while.

Sai Charan was found injured with an apparent gunshot wound inside a silver Hyundai Tucson SUV in Baltimore, Maryland. He was immediately rushed to a trauma centre, where he was pronounced dead, local media reported on Monday (June 20). "We have learnt about the unfortunate death of Nakka Sai Charan in the early morning of Sunday, June 19, 2022, in Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore police have not yet revealed more details on circumstances of death, as an investigation is in progress," the Embassy of India at Maryland said in a brief statement.

Obviously, the death of his young son left Sai's father Nakka Narsimha, a retired headmaster in Telangana's Nalgonda, devastated. The heartbroken father said, "We did not want to send our son to the US. We wanted him to be here. I had no interest in sending him there and told him not to go." N Narasimha said his son flew to the US in August 2020. After completing his MS course, he was working in Maryland for the past six months. Narasimha had spoken to his son on Friday, two days before he was shot dead. 

According to Baltimore police, the case is being treated as a homicide investigation and investigating personnel are seeking information from anyone who might have seen suspicious activity. The embassy is in close touch with Sai Charan's family and diaspora members to facilitate early repatriation of mortal remains of Sai Charan," it further added.

Due to the ascent in racially-motivated hate crimes in the United States, the North American association of India Students (NAAIS) raised concerns about the rising cases of violence against Indian-origin students and young professionals. "We implore officials - locally and nationally- to look into certain policies to ensure the safety of all students and young professionals who arrive in the United States. We're reaching out to Sai Charan's classmates from the University of Cincinnati, and we plan to hold a vigil as well," NAAIS said.

The US has been witnessing back-to-back acts of gun violence in the country with at least 246 fatal shootings till June this year. The US is promoted to be the premier destination for higher education for Indians, but in rising instances, senseless gun violence is causing anxiety to people.

The May 24 massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers, was the bloodiest mass shooting in the United States this year, which occurred only 10 days after another shooting that killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo. 

(With Agency inputs)