Indian national fatally shot in Maryland, father says never wanted him sent to United States

The horrible killing of Sai Charan Nakka may be a result of an unprovoked  hate crime and racially motivated

By Edward Era Barbacena

 June 24: In a shocking development, a 25-year-old Indian national was shot dead in Maryland on Sunday morning.

The victim has been identified as Sai Charan Nakka. He had graduated from the University of Cincinnati in January of 2022 and was a native of Telangana.

Following the incident, Sai Charan Nakka was rushed to the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead after a while.

Expressing shock at his son's untimely death, the deceased's father Nakka Narsimha, a retired headmaster in Telangana's Nalgonda, said, "We did not want to send our son to the US. We wanted him to be here. I had no interest in sending him there and told him not to go."

Baltimore police have said that the case is being treated as a homicide investigation and investigating personnel are seeking information from anyone who might have seen suspicious activity.

"We have learnt about the unfortunate death of Nakka Sai Charan on the early morning of Sunday, June 19, 2022, in Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore police have not yet revealed more details on circumstances of death, as the investigation is still in progress," the Indian Embassy said in a statement adding that it is in close touch with Sai Charan's family and diaspora members to facilitate early repatriation of mortal remains of Sai Charan."

The North American association of India Students (NAAIS) expressed worry over the rise in violent incidents against students and young professionals of Indian origin in light of the rise in racially motivated hate crimes in the United States.

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"We implore officials--locally and nationally--to look into certain policies to ensure the safety of all students and young professionals who arrive in the United States. We're reaching out to Sai Charan's classmates from the University of Cincinnati, and we plan to hold a vigil as well," NAAIS stated.

With at least 246 fatal shootings reported up until June of this year, the US has been experiencing back-to-back incidents of gun violence. Indians are encouraged to pursue their higher education in the US, but there are more and more instances when this is not feasible due to a lack of basic safety against senseless gun violence.

The deadliest mass shooting in America took place on May 24 at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two teachers. This massacre came just 10 days after another shooting that claimed the lives of 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo.