Over 30 Telugus Died In the US Since 2008

The killing of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an emigre from Hyderabad, has come as yet another blow to the Telugu community in the US and has focused attention on a series of tragedies that have struck immigrants from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in recent times.

Srinivas was killed and his colleague Alok Madasani from Warangal was injured in a shooting in a bar in Olathe, Kansas. In what is suspected to be the first incident of its nature after Donald Trump assumed office, a former Navy serviceman opened fire as he reportedly yelled “Middle Easterners, get out of my country” in what is seen as a case of mistaken identity.

The two engineers were working as aviation programme managers at Garmin, a MNC. Srinivas, 32, is the second man from Telangana to die in a shootout in the US this month. Software engineer Vamshi Reddy Mamidala was shot dead in Milpitas, California, on February 10, by an offender in the garage of his apartment building.

The 27-year-old, who hailed from Warangal district, died when the assailant opened fire while fleeing after robbing a woman.

These are not isolated incidents. More than 30 techies and students from the two Telugu states have died since 2008, victims of crime or accidents. Young dreams were cut short by the disasters that hit one of the largest groups among the Indian community in the US.