US: Indian-origin woman shot dead by 19-year-old in New Jersey, another critically injured

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New Jersey: In a shocking incident, an Indian-origin woman was killed and another critically injured after they were shot in the US state of New Jersey allegedly by a 19-year-old man, who was also of Indian origin, according to authorities. The shooting occurred on June 12 in northeastern Middlesex County, the county prosecutor said, after which officers located two female victims and airlifted them to the hospital in critical condition.

Jasvir Kaur, 29, of Carteret, was pronounced dead at the hospital, while the other victim, a 20-year-old woman, was in critical condition, the prosecutor said. The other victim was Kaur’s cousin, according to CBS News. “They’re just laid out on the driveway. They weren’t really moving,” a neighbour said after witnessing the shooting.

Police arrested Gaurav Gill, 19, later in the day in connection with the shooting. He was on the run for hours and was cornered by law enforcement in a backyard about a half mile from where the shooting happened, according to the report. The motive for the shooting and the relation between the victim and the accused were not immediately known. 

Gill has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, one count of fourth-degree possession of a high-capacity magazine and one count of first-degree attempted murder. 

The incident came after an Indian student died in a tragic road accident in the US on Sunday, May 26. According to reports, Guntipalli Sowmya, 25, a native of Telangana’s Yadagirigutta, had recently completed a Master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University. She was looking for a job in the US. Tragically, she was killed by a speeding car while crossing the road in Florida.

It is worth mentioning more than dozens of Indian students were killed in America this year, where a majority of them died due to attacks. Recently, an Indian student died in a bike accident in the US on May 23. The deceased, Belem Atchyuth, was a student of the State University of New York (SUNY) who hailed from Andhra Pradesh. 

In the preceding month, reports emerged of the tragic demise of Mohammed Abdul Arfath, an Indian student hailing from Hyderabad, discovered in the state of Ohio, US. In March, a 34-year-old trained classical dancer from India, Amarnath Ghosh, was shot dead in St Louis, Missouri. Sameer Kamath, a 23-year-old Indian-American student at Purdue University, was found dead in a nature preserve in Indiana on February 5.

(with PTI inputs)

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