Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, was shot dead in a bar in Kansas last month.
In an attempt to reassure the Indian community living in the US, the Governor of Kansas - where an Indian engineer was shot dead in an apparent hate crime last month - said that the hateful action of one person does not define them. The 32-year-old engineer, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, was shot dead in a bar in Kansas. The alleged assailant - a 51-year old US Navy veteran Adam Purinton - had opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling "get out of my country". He was soon arrested.
"We stand with them in the face of this crime," Kansas Governor Sam Brownback said at a meeting with the Indian community, adding that the unique contribution of the Indian community makes the state a better place. "The hateful actions of one man don't define us. Kansas welcomes and supports Indian community," Mr Brownback tweeted shortly after the meeting on Thursday.
A recent spree of hate crimes seems to have fallen upon the people of Indian origin.
Today, a 39-year-old Sikh man was injured in the city of Kent in Washington today after an unidentified man shot him outside his home and allegedly shouted "go back to your own country". This comes shortly after 43-year-old Harnish Patel -- a store owner of Indian-origin -- was shot dead in his yard in Lancaster, South Carolina on Thursday.
The Kansas shooting sent shockwaves among the Indian-Americans across the country. It is being investigated as a hate crime by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Mr Brownback gave assurances to the Indian community that the perpetrator in custody, Adam Purinton, currently facing first-degree murder and attempted first degree murder charges, would be prosecuted to "furthest extent of the law".
"The meeting with Governor Brownback and Lt Governor Colyer was very fruitful in my opinion," said Sridhar Harohalli, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Indian Association of Kansas City, adding "The delegation got an assurance that this incident will be prosecuted effectively.
Governor Brownback's commitment help to get Mr Kuchibhotla widow Sunayana Dummala back to her home and career in Kansas was also heartening," Mr Harohalli said. A message sent through a family friend from Ms Dummala was also read out at the meeting.
With inputs from PTI