Killing of Indian youth in US leaves parents distraught

Vijayawada: The death of Prithviraj Kandepi, who was among the three people killed by a gunman at a bank in the US state of Ohio on Thursday, has left his parents distraught.

The parents were grief-stricken at their house in Tenali town of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh after the family received the shocking news of his killing.

The 25-year-old was working as a consultant with the Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati. He, along with two others, Luis Felipe Calderon, 48, and Richard Newcomer, 64, was shot dead by the gunman identified as Omar Perez, 29. Perez was later shot dead by the police.

Five others were also injured in the incident that took place on Thursday morning at the headquarters of the Fifth Third Bank near Fountain Square, Cincinnati.

The only son of Kandepi Gopinath and Kandepi Sudha Rani, Prithviraj had gone to the US six years ago and after completing his education joined the bank as a consultant. The parents and his sister were shocked after they were informed about his death.

The parents were inconsolable. Relatives and friends poured in to meet the couple. Gopinath is Deputy Engineer in Andhra Pradesh Housing Development Corporation and is currently serving in Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati.

According to Pruthviraj’s relatives, his parents had plans to get him married and were looking for a suitable alliance.

The family is in touch with relatives and friends, officials of the bank and representatives of Telugu associations in the US and is requesting them to make arrangements to send the body home as early as possible.

[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]