Indian, Tibetan from India killed in Oakland shooting spree

Washington, Apr 3: A 38-year-old Sikkimese and a Tibetan American, who recently migrated from Dharamsala, were among the seven people killed by a disgruntled college student who carried out an execution type killing spree in a religious college in California that also left an Indian-American girl injured. Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan said today morning that the victims came from India, Nepal, South Korea, Nigeria, and the Philippines.

Tshering Rinzing Bhutia, 38, of San Francisco, was killed when the gunman stole his car outside the school yesterday morning.

Bhutia was born in Sikkim and lived alone in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood and worked nights cleaning terminals in the city's airport, Oakland Tribune reported.

He was also studying nursing at Oikos, a tiny Christian college and also worked in restaurants. Another shooting victim identified today was Sonam Choden, 33, who moved recently to the US here from India. "Many Tibetans, new immigrants, they go to that school to do LPN or CNA," said Tenzin Tsedup of the Tibetan Association of Northern California. She lived with her brother.

Before moving to the United States, she had worked in education administration for Tibet's exiled government in Dharamsala. Other identified victims include 21-year-old student Lydia Sim and 24-year-old Katleen Ping, authorities said.

The Indian-American who was injured was Dawinder Kaur, who was shot in her right arm near the elbow. She is nursing her injuries at a local hospital in Oakland, where the shooting incident happened yesterday, sending shock waves across the country. (MORE)