Indian-origin man shot dead in US motel; second such killing in a month

According to a criminal complaint cited by local media, the incident occurred on Friday afternoon when Ehagaban went outside the motel to investigate a commotion.

An Indian-origin motel owner in the U.S. was shot dead last week at point-blank range in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after stepping outside to check on a disturbance. The victim, identified as 51-year-old Rakesh Ehagaban, managed the Pittsburgh Motel in Robinson Township, located in southwestern Pennsylvania.

According to a criminal complaint cited by local media, the incident occurred on Friday afternoon when Ehagaban went outside the motel to investigate a commotion.

As he approached the alleged shooter, 37-year-old Stanley Eugene West, he reportedly asked, “Are you alright, bud?” before West raised his gun and shot him in the head. The entire exchange was captured on the motel’s surveillance cameras, police said.

As per investigators, just moments before Ehagaban’s death, West had allegedly shot a woman, described as his companion, in the motel’s parking lot. The woman was sitting inside her black sedan with a child when West approached and shot her in the neck.

Despite her injury, the woman managed to drive to a nearby auto repair shop, where police found her and the unharmed child. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, officers have stated.

Police said West had been staying at the motel for about two weeks with the woman and child. He also has a listed address on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

The sound of gunfire drew Ehagaban outside the motel, where the gunman confronted him.

“As (West) gets within feet of Ehagaban, he raises his firearm and shoots him in the head,” the complaint noted.

Ehagaban died instantly at the scene.

After the shooting, the suspect walked calmly to a parked U-Haul van and drove away, according to witnesses and surveillance footage.

Following this, police launched a large-scale manhunt. Cops later tracked West to the East Hills neighborhood of Pittsburgh, where he allegedly opened fire on officers. During the exchange of gunfire, a Pittsburgh detective was shot and taken to the hospital.

West was also wounded in the shootout and later arrested by police. He has been charged with criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and reckless endangerment, authorities said.

Police described the attack as “deliberate and unprovoked” and are still investigating the motive. Surveillance footage from the motel and nearby businesses is being reviewed to piece together West’s movements before and after the shooting.

The incident comes just weeks after another violent attack involving an Indian-origin motel worker in the US. In that case, 50-year-old Chandramouli Nagamallaiah was beheaded in front of his wife and son at a motel in Texas following a dispute over a broken washing machine.

The suspect, a co-worker, was later arrested and charged with capital murder.