Indian student, 27, shot dead in Texas gas station robbery; probe underway

The Consulate General of India in Houston and Telangana leaders expressed grief and assured full support to the family of Chandrashekar Pole, killed in a Dallas gas station shooting

A 27-year-old Indian student from Hyderabad was shot dead by unidentified assailants during a robbery at a gas station in Dallas, Texas, US, on Friday.

 

The Dallas Police Department confirmed that an investigation is underway into the death of Chandrashekar Pole. “We are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and working to bring clarity to the case,” a police spokesperson said, according to PTI.

 

Why did Chandrashekar Pole go to Texas?

 

Pole had completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery in Hyderabad before moving to the US two years ago to pursue a Master's degree in Data Analytics at the University of North Texas, Denton. His brother, Damodar, told reporters that Pole completed his degree six months ago and had been looking for a job while working part-time at the gas station to support himself. 

 

#WATCH | Rangareddy, Telangana | Pole Chandrashekar, hailing from BN Reddy Nagar, reportedly shot dead in Denton, Texas.  His brother says, "My younger brother went to the United States in 2023. We have received information that he has been shot and killed... We spent a lot of… pic.twitter.com/R97ps6eokS

— ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2025

 

Family, Telangana leaders express grief

 

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy conveyed condolences to the bereaved family and said the state government would extend all cooperation to bring back the body.

 

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA and former Telangana minister T Harish Rao also described the killing as “tragic” and said he met the family to offer condolences. “The pain that the parents are going through, knowing that their son, who they believed would reach great heights, is no more, is heart-wrenching,” Rao said in a post on X.

 

Rao further urged the state government to take immediate steps to facilitate the repatriation of Pole’s mortal remains.

 

What did Indian Consulate say?

 

The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Houston, which oversees Texas, expressed deep condolences over the killing. “Consulate General of India, Houston, deeply condoles the tragic death of Mr Chandrashekar Pole, an Indian student from Hyderabad, who was killed in a shooting incident in Denton, Texas. We are in touch with the family and extending all possible assistance,” the consulate said in a post on X.

 

A CGI official told PTI that the mission is “providing all possible consular assistance to the family, including facilitating communication with local authorities and expediting necessary paperwork".

 

Repatriation of the remains requires completion of legal formalities, including the issuance of a death certificate and No Objection Certificates from the consulate. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office is yet to release the official cause of death.

 

Attacks on Indian students in US

 

The incident has again brought attention to safety concerns for Indian students in the US, particularly those working part-time in late-hour roles.

 

Similar tragedies have occurred in recent years. In January, a 26-year-old student from Telangana was shot dead in Connecticut, while another man from Ranga Reddy district was found with bullet wounds in the US. In September, a 30-year-old man from Mahabubnagar died in California after reportedly being shot by police following a scuffle with his roommate.