Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA: Rakesh Ehagaban, an Indian-origin motel owner, was fatally injured by Stanley Eugene West, who also injured a woman and a police detective before being apprehended. Authorities said the attack appeared deliberate and unprovoked.
A 51-year-old Indian-origin motel manager in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was shot at close range on Friday afternoon after stepping outside to check on a disturbance, according to a criminal complaint reported in local media. Ehagaban managed the Pittsburgh Motel in Robinson Township, a suburb southwest of the city.
Police reports indicate that the suspect, 37-year-old Stanley Eugene West, shot Ehagaban in the head after the motel owner approached him while trying to intervene in an apparent conflict, asking, "Are you alright, bud?" Surveillance footage from the motel captured this exchange, authorities said.
The fatal incident comes just weeks after another Indian man, 50-year-old Chandramouli Nagamallaiah, was fatally attacked at a Dallas motel in front of his wife and son over a dispute involving a broken washing machine.
Motel Manager Shot While Trying to Intervene
Authorities said West had been staying at the Pittsburgh Motel for roughly two weeks along with a woman and a child. He also has a listed address on Page Street in Pittsburgh’s North Side. The incident happened shortly after the gunman allegedly shot a woman described as his companion in the motel parking lot.
Investigators said the woman was sitting in a black sedan with a child inside when the attacker approached and fired, striking her in the neck. She was able to drive to Dick Kernick Tire & Auto Service Centre around 1 pm local time, where officers located her. She was hospitalised in critical condition, while the child in the back seat was unharmed, police confirmed.
The shooting drew Ehagaban outside the motel, where he confronted West. "As West comes within a few feet of Ehagaban, he raises his firearm and shoots him in the head," the criminal complaint stated, according to local media. Ehagaban passed away at the scene.
West, a motel guest, is now facing charges including homicide, attempted homicide, and recklessly endangering another person, police said. After shooting the motel owner, West reportedly walked calmly to a nearby U-Haul van and drove away.
Police Officer Injured During Manhunt
Following the motel incident, law enforcement tracked West to the East Hills area of Pittsburgh, where he exchanged gunfire with officers. A Pittsburgh detective was also injured during the confrontation and transported to a hospital.
West himself was injured by police gunfire and taken to a medical facility.
According to arrest documents, the attacker’s actions were deliberate and unprovoked. Police have not disclosed a motive for the incidents. Authorities are reviewing multiple surveillance videos to track West’s movements before and after the events.
