2017 Olathe, Kansas shooting

On February 22, 2017, an Indian engineer was shot dead and another was injured when Adam W. Purinton, an American who mistook them for people from the Middle East, yelled "get out of my country" and "terrorist" before shooting them at the Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas. Srinivas Kuchibhotla (32), was killed on spot and his friend, Alok Madasani, was injured. Ian Grillot (24), an American who tried to save them, was also shot; Grillot was recovering in a hospital while Madasani was discharged. Several hours after the shooting, Purinton was arrested at an Applebee's restaurant in Clinton, Missouri. He is being charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. Incident: According to witness accounts the incident started after the suspect became agitated at the bar where patrons were watching a basketball game and he began yelling racial slurs to the victims. When confronted by restaurant staff and other guests, the suspect left, only to return with a weapon and start firing. The gunman reportedly told two of the people who were shot—both Indian men who work for Garmin, a technology firm—to “get out of my country” before opening fire. Ian Grillot, a 24-year-old white American, was shot and injured as he came to the victims' aid. After the shooting, he was having an alcoholic drink at a pub in an Applebee's restaurant in Clinton, Missouri, about 82 miles (132 kilometers) away from Olathe, when he was picked up. Purinton attracted the barman’s attention in the Applebee's when he said “he needed a place to hide because he had just killed two Middle Eastern men”. Multiple law enforcement agents launched an investigation into the deadly shooting. Victims: Srinivas Kuchibhotla was an employee with the Garmin headquarters in Olathe. His colleague, Alok Madasani, was with him at the bar when they came under fire. Ian Grillot, who reportedly put his life at risk to save them, was also injured in the shooting. Kuchibhotla had a B. Tech in electrical and electronics engineering from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University. He had a master's degree for Avionics from the University of Texas at El Paso. Originally from Machilipatnam, his parents settled in Hyderabad for employment where he completed his studies. He relocated to the U.S. for his Master's degree and later worked for Rockwell Collins, Inc. in Iowa prior to working for Garmin. Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, according to a GoFundMe Page. The couple had no children. Madasani graduated from Vasavi College of Engineering in 2006, and came to the U.S. as a Master’s student at the UMKC. Ian Grillot went to North High School in Olathe and was a regular at Austins Bar and Grill. Perpetrator: Adam Purinton, who was 51 years old at the time of the shooting, is a desktop support specialist for GEN3RATION, an information technology company in the Kansas City area. A former U.S. Navy veteran with an inactive pilot license, he reportedly lived alone and had been residing at the same address for almost 20 years. The shooter worked as an air traffic controller in Olathe. He also worked at the Federal Aviation Administration, but left FAA in 2000. Purinton has been charged with one count of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder. His bond has been set at $2 million. It is unclear whether he has retained a lawyer or entered a plea. First degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility for 50 years. Reactions: Sushma Swaraj, India's Foreign minister, said on Twitter "I am shocked", and that she would help the family to bring Kuchibhotla's body back to Hyderabad. US Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas posted a statement on Facebook about the shooting, expressing concern for the safety of other immigrants. Garmin, later issued a public statement about the incident: "We’re saddened that two Garmin associates were involved in last night’s incident, and we express our condolences to the family and friends of our co-workers involved. Garmin will have grievance counselors on-site and available for its associates today and tomorrow." The families of victims have blamed the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, for the incident. When asked by reporters whether "rhetoric that the President or—that generally has been out here recently could have contributed in any way", White House press secretary Sean Spicer stated, "I mean, obviously, any loss of life is tragic, but I'm not going to get into, like, that kind of—to suggest that there’s any correlation I think is a bit absurd. So I’m not going to go any further than that." The incident was condemned by several American lawmakers and civil rights groups. Slate columnist Jamelle Bouie criticized President Trump for failing to condemn the shooting. The author of Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling attributed the shooting to "hate speech", writing that "Language has consequences". A group of friends and colleagues of the victims has submitted an We the People petition demanding an explanation from the federal government. Titled 'Indian Engineers target of Hate Crime', the petition has called upon President Donald Trump "to state clearly and unequivocally that he denounces this incident". On February 28, 2017, at the beginning of an address to a joint session of Congress, President Trump condemned the incident: "Recent threats, as well as last week's shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a Nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms."