Efforts on to repatriate body of Indian engineer killed in US shooting

New York, May 9  Efforts are on to repatriate the mortal remains of the Indian engineer who was killed in a mass shooting at a mall in the US state of Texas on May 6,

the Indian Consulate in Houston said.

The Consulate added that two more Indian nationals were injured during the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen near Dallas.

Aishwarya Thatikonda, the 27-year-old engineer from Telangana, was among the nine victims.

“Consulate is facilitating completion of requisite formalities with regard to mortal remains of the deceased. Two other Indian nationals have been injured in the tragic shooting incident,” the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Houston tweeted on Tuesday.

“We are in constant touch with the local & hospital authorities, relatives of the injured and Acommunity leaders. Consulate officials are in Dallas to render all possible assistance,” the CGI wrote in an update to its earlier tweet.

Expressing condolences, the CGI had said on Monday that it is in touch with the family of the deceased as well as the local authorities, and is closely monitoring the situation.

“Our officers are on the ground to render all possible assistance. We are closely monitoring the situation,” the CGI said.

A resident of Saroornagar area in Hyderabad, Aishwarya was working as project manager in a company called Perfect General Contractors LLC in Texas.

Her family was in deep shock after receiving the news of her death.

Her father Narsi Reddy works as a judge in Rangareddy district court, IANS reported on Monday.

Aishwarya was shopping with a friend when they were shot by gunman Mauricio Garcia, a 33 year-old who had served briefly in the US army, but was removed because of mental health problems.

He was shot dead by a law enforcement officer who was patrolling the area.

Gun laws are among the weakest in Texas.

The Republican-ruled state has seen some of the worst mass shootings recently, including the massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde last May, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed.