In a shocking incident, an Indian-origin motel manager was shot dead in Robinson Township, Pittsburgh, United States, last Friday. The victim, identified as 51-year-old Rakesh Ehagaban, was the manager of the Pittsburgh Motel. According to police, Ehagaban stepped outside the motel after hearing a disturbance in the parking lot. Moments later, he was shot at close range by a man identified as 37-year-old Stanley Eugene West.
According to a police complaint, security footage showed Ehagaban asking the man, ‘Are you alright, bud?’ West then walked up to him, pulled out a gun, and shot him in the head which led to the death of Ehagaban on the spot.
According to media reports, the violence began when West fired at a woman who was trying to leave the motel in a black sedan. She had been staying at the motel with her child for two weeks. As she attempted to drive away, West reportedly shot into her vehicle, hitting her in the neck. The woman managed to drive away and was later found at an automobile service centre, where she was rushed to hospital in critical condition.
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After shooting Ehagaban, West calmly walked to a moving van parked nearby and drove off from the location. Authorities later tracked the vehicle using licence plate cameras. When officers located West in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighbourhood, he allegedly opened fire on them. After a gun battle West was shot and critically injured. A police detective was also wounded during the exchange of gunfire.
West was later admitted to hospital under police custody. He is now facing multiple charges, including criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and recklessly endangering another person. Police said both Ehagaban’s killing and the attack on the woman were caught on security cameras. The investigation is ongoing, and officers are working to establish the motive behind the attack.