23-year-old man arrested over fatal shooting of Indian student in Texas

Richard Damion Florez allegedly shot Indian student Chandrashekar Pole while he was working a part-time shift at the gas station, before fleeing the scene in the same car he had arrived in

A 23-year-old man, Richard Damion Florez, has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Chandrashekar Pole, a 28-year-old Indian student from Hyderabad, in the US. The incident occurred on October 3 at the Fort Worth Express gas station on Eastchase Parkway in Texas, leaving the local Indian-American community shocked.

 

Florez allegedly shot Pole while he was working a part-time shift at the gas station, before fleeing the scene in the same car he had arrived in.

 

Suspect fires at another vehicle, crashes into a house 

After shooting Pole, Florez reportedly fired at another vehicle about a mile away, though no one in that car was injured. He then crashed his car into a metal gate of a house on Meadowbrook Drive and attempted to enter the residence.

 

 

Responding to a call from a resident, police arrived at the scene and arrested Florez. Authorities recovered a firearm from his vehicle. The suspect was first taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the incident but has since been booked for homicide. Police confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and the motive behind the shooting remains unclear. 

 

Why Chandrashekar Pole moved to Texas 

Chandrashekar 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. To support himself, he worked part-time at the Fort Worth gas station where the tragic incident occurred.

 

Telangana CM expresses grief 

Following the incident, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed condolences and assured government support for the repatriation of Pole’s body. BRS MLA and former minister T Harish Rao also described the killing as “tragic.”

 

The Consulate General of India in Houston confirmed that it is assisting the family with arrangements for repatriation.

 

Safety concerns for Indian students in the US 

The killing has reignited concerns about the safety of Indian students in the US. Earlier this year, a 26-year-old Telangana student in Connecticut was allegedly shot dead, while another man from Ranga Reddy district was found dead with bullet wounds. In September, a 30-year-old man from Mahabubnagar district died in California after being allegedly shot by police following a scuffle with his roommate.