Indian man shot dead outside motel in US, suspect hospitalised after police shootout

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: In a troubling incident, a 51-year-old Indian-origin motel manager was shot dead Friday while responding to a disturbance at his property in Robinson Township, officials said.

The victim, Rakesh Ehagaban, was managing the Pittsburgh Motel when he was shot in the head by 37-year-old Stanley Eugene West, who had been staying at the motel with a woman and child for approximately two weeks. According to police and local media reports, Ehagaban had walked outside in response to the sound of gunfire and asked West, “Are you alright, bud?” before being shot. The entire incident was captured on the motel’s surveillance cameras.

The criminal complaint stated that as West approached within a few feet of Ehagaban, he raised his firearm and fired a single round to the head. Ehagaban died at the scene.

Just prior to the fatal shooting, West allegedly opened fire on a woman in the motel’s car park. The woman, identified as his companion, was seated in a black sedan with a child in the back seat when she was shot in the neck. Despite her injuries, she reportedly managed to drive to a nearby auto service centre, where police later found her. She was admitted to hospital in critical condition. The child was unharmed.

Police believe the initial shooting prompted Ehagaban to investigate the disturbance, leading to his death.

Following the shooting, West was seen walking calmly to a U-Haul van parked nearby, which he used to flee the scene. Investigators later traced the vehicle using licence plate recognition technology and located it in the East Hills neighbourhood of Pittsburgh.

When approached by officers, West allegedly opened fire, prompting a shootout with police. A Pittsburgh detective was wounded in the exchange and taken to hospital, though authorities later confirmed the officer was recovering at home. West was also shot and has been hospitalised.

West now faces multiple charges, including criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and recklessly endangering another person. Authorities have yet to identify a clear motive, though police described the attack as both deliberate and unprovoked.

The incident has drawn comparisons to a recent killing in Dallas, where another Indian man, Chandramouli Nagamallaiah, was beheaded in front of his family at a motel following a domestic dispute. Earlier this month, a 27-year-old student from Hyderabad was also killed while working at a gas station in Dallas, Texas.

Police are continuing to review surveillance footage from the motel and surrounding areas to piece together West’s actions before and after the attack.