Kansas Man Allegedly Shouted 'Get Out of My Country' Before Shooting 2 Indian Men, Killing 1
By Rachel Cromidas in News on Feb 24, 2017 4:23PM
Adam Purinton, mugshot
A Kansas City man was charged with first degree murder Thursday after shooting two Indian men outside of a bar, killing one of them, while allegedly shouting "get out of my country." The incident took place on Wednesday.
Adam Purinton, 51, was outside Austin's Bar & Grill in Olathe, Kansas, when he saw Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, both 32, and shot at them. He also shot 24-year-old Ian Grillot in the hand and chest after he attempted to defend the other men. Purinton has also been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Kuchibhotla died from his injuries. Madasani has been released from the hospital, according to the Kansas City Star.
Grillot spoke with reporters from his hospital room Thursday, saying that he thought Purinton was out of bullets when he attempted to intervene.
"I'm very grateful that one of the gentlemen is fine. I think it is terrible what happened to his friend," he said.
Olathe Police Chief Steven Menke described the incident as "a tragic and senseless act of violence,” in a Thursday press conference.
A witness told police that Purinton, who is white, yelled "get out of my country" right before he shot the men. He fled the scene but was found hours later after he reportedly entered an Applebee's in Clinton, Missouri, and told the bartender that he "needed a place to hide out because he had just killed two Middle Eastern men," according to the Star. Kuchibhotla and Madasani are reportedly of Indian descent, and both worked as engineers at Garmin.
In a statement on Thursday, Garmin officials said: “We’re saddened that two Garmin associates were involved in last night’s incident, and we express our condolences to the family and friends of our co-workers involved."
Purinton's bond has been set at $2 million. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a possible hate crime, according to the NYTimes. Meanwhile, India's government has decried the shooting. Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj Tweeted Friday that "I am shocked at the shooting incident in Kansas in which Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been killed. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family.”