NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Chicago, IL, November 30, 2024: In another tragic case of gun violence, Sai Teja Nukarapu, a 22-year-old Indian student, was shot dead during a robbery at a gas station convenience store near Chicago on November 28, Thanksgiving Day. Sai Teja, an MBA student originally from Khammam district in Telangana, was helping a friend at the gas station when armed robbers confronted him.
This marks the latest in a series of violent incidents this year where Indian students in the United States have become victims of gun violence at gas stations.
According to reports, Sai Teja’s friend had briefly left the station, leaving him alone when the robbers confronted and shot him. Despite emergency responders arriving on the scene, he succumbed to his injuries.
Sai Teja had completed a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in India before moving to the U.S. to further his education only four months ago. His untimely death has left his family in deep grief, and efforts are underway to repatriate his body to India. The Telugu Association of North America (TANA) and other community organizations are supporting the process.
In April of this year, Sai Charan Nakka, a 25-year-old graduate student from Andhra Pradesh was fatally shot during a robbery at a gas station in Columbus, Ohio. He was studying at Cleveland State University and working part-time at the gas station when the incident occurred.
Last year, a 24-year-old from Andhra Pradesh, Saiesh Veera, was fatally shot during a suspected robbery at a gas station in Columbus, Ohio. Veera, a master’s student in his final semester, was also working at the gas station. He had plans to leave the job soon and had recently been selected for an H-1B visa
In 2022, Satwinder Singh and his cousin, Pawanpreet Kaur, were shot at a gas station in Mississippi. Singh, a 21-year-old student from India, succumbed to his injuries. This incident also occurred during an attempted robbery.
