Washington: U.S. authorities have taken into custody the individual responsible for the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old Indian graduate student from Hyderabad at a gas station in the Dallas area. Officials report that 23-year-old Richard Florez from North Richland Hills is accused of gunning down Chandrashekar Pole during his overnight shift, before speeding away and eventually being captured after a brief pursuit.
The confrontation unfolded late Friday evening at a station on Eastchase Parkway in Fort Worth. Following the attack on Pole, Florez allegedly discharged his weapon at a passing car roughly a mile down the road, missing any occupants, and then plowed into a residential gate on Meadowbrook Drive while trying to gain entry to the property, according to police accounts. Law enforcement quickly detained him on site, seizing a pistol from his car.
A firearm was also retrieved from the suspect’s vehicle during the arrest… The individual remains hospitalized but has been formally charged in connection with the homicide,” Fort Worth Police spokesperson Officer Brad Perez told NBCDFW on Monday.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office verified Pole’s identity, noting he was declared deceased at the location. Investigators continue to probe the circumstances, with no clear motive yet identified.
India’s Consulate General in Houston has reached out to Pole’s relatives in Hyderabad to facilitate the return of his body to the country. Meanwhile, a crowdfunding effort on GoFundMe has been initiated to cover transportation costs and provide aid to the bereaved family.
Pole, who earned his Bachelor of Dental Surgery in Hyderabad, relocated to the United States two years prior to advance his studies with a master’s degree. He finished the program just six months back and was job hunting while supplementing his income through part-time work at the station, his brother Damodar Pole shared with media outlets.
The slaying has reverberated through Indian-American circles, where community leaders and fellow students voiced profound dismay. They highlighted a troubling pattern of assaults on Indian students across the U.S., fostering an atmosphere of anxiety and sorrow amid late-night work shifts that heighten vulnerability.
This case amplifies broader worries about the perils facing overseas learners in entry-level positions, particularly those involving after-hours exposure. It echoes prior tragedies, such as the January killing of a 26-year-old from Telangana in Connecticut by unknown assailants, the discovery of a Ranga Reddy district resident with gunshot injuries in the U.S., and the September police-involved shooting death of a 30-year-old from Mahabubnagar in California after a roommate dispute.
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