E-Paper
Moment Indian-origin man was shot dead in Pittsburgh caught on camera
Motel manager Rakesh Ehagaban was shot dead by Stanley West after checking on a disturbance outside his motel, following an argument.
After an Indian-origin motel manager in Pittsburgh, was reportedly shot dead on Friday, a video that showed his last moments has surfaced on social media. The video showed the attacker calmly walking up to him and fatally shooting him at point-blank range.
51-year-old Rakesh Ehagaban had stepped outside to check on an argument that was going on in the parking lot of a Robinson Township motel, which he owned.
The accused has been identified as 37-year-old Stanley Eugene West and has been charged with criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and recklessly endangering another person.
Ehagaban stepped outside to check the situation after West shot a female companion outside the motel following an argument. When the motel manager arrived, the suspect shot him in the head and killed him, Allegheny County Superintendent Christopher Kearns told CBS News.
Police said West fired at Ehagaban when he asked, “Are you alright, bud?” Officers also said that surveillance footage showed West walking towards him and, as he got within a feet of Ehagaban, he raised his gun and shot him in the head.
Also read | Indian-origin man in Pittsburgh asked gunman ‘Are you alright?', was shot dead later
West had been reportedly staying at the motel for nearly two weeks with the woman as well as a child. He also listed a residence on Page Street in Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Before the incident, the woman was sitting in a black sedan with the child when the shooter approached the driver’s side door and shot at the sedan, shattering the window. Minutes after Ehagaban rushed out to ensure the safety of his guests, West shot him dead too.
Police said that the child, who was in the back seat, was not injured in the incident.
West also injured a police officer of Pittsburgh bureau of police's detective department during the incident in East Hills.
In a statement, Martin Devine, Acting Chief of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, said, “The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police detective injured by gunfire during the critical incident in East Hills on Friday is resting comfortably at home with his family and with the full support of his fellow officers and the Bureau. The family asks for privacy at this time.”
