Indian youth among 3 killed in US bank shooting

An Indian youth was among the three people who were killed when a gunman opened fire at a bank in the US state of Ohio.

Pruthviraj Kandepi 25, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, and two others, Luis Felipe Calderon, 48, and Richard Newcomer, 64, were shot dead on Thursday by the gunman identified as Omar Perez, 29. Perez was later shot dead by the police.

Five others were also injured in the incident that took place on Thursday morning at the headquarters for the Fifth Third Bank near Fountain Square, Cincinnati.

Kandepi was working as a consultant with the bank.

His family in Tenali town of Guntur district was shocked when his friends informed them about the incident over the phone.

Officials of Indian consulate in New York were also in touch with Kandepi's family.

The Telugu Association of North America (TANA) was making arrangements to send the body home.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said Perez acted alone and he entered multiple businesses before going to the bank, reports ABC News.

He opened fire in the building's loading dock before continuing into the lobby area and firing more shots, Isaac added.

Thursday's incident is the second this year where an Indian was shot dead in the US.

In July, Sharat Koppu, 26, from Telangana was shot dead by an unidentified person at a restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri.

Last year, Hyderabad techie, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was killed in a race-triggered attack at a bar in Kansas state.

--IANS

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