Suspect in killing of Indian student in US shot dead

New York :  A man who was a suspect in the killing of an Indian student in Kansas City has been shot dead by police after he shot and wounded three officers on Sunday, according to media reports.

The man, who had been under surveillance in connection with the fatal shooting of Sharath Koppu on July 6 at a restaurant, was killed during an exchange of fire with police on Sunday, the Kansas City Star newspaper reported.

Koppu, 25, a student from Telengana, was shot dead at the restaurant during what appeared to be a robbery.

He had come to the US in January and was doing his master’s in computer science at University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Police had been on the lookout for the suspect, who has not been identified, at several locations and he “popped up” at a motel, the newspaper quoted city police chief Rick Smith was quoted as saying by the paper.

When two undercover police went to the motel, the suspect shot and wounded them before fleeing with another person, police said.

When they tracked him down to a house in the area, he shot another officer. When the man came out of the house, there was more exchange of gunfire and he was killed, the newspaper reported.

As many as 50 gun shots were heard during the confrontation, the Star reported.

The three injured officers are expected to survive.

The man’s accomplice was captured by police, who said they found weapons in his car.

The Star reported that police would not confirm if the suspect was the man seen in restaurant surveillance video taken before the shooting, which was circulated by police.

 Published on: July 17, 2018 at 01:29 IST

IANS