Indian origin student killed in US shooting

New York, Apr 13: A 21-year-old Indian origin student at Rutgers University in US was shot dead and his roommate, was seriously injured, media reported.

The shooting incident took place near the school's campus in Newark on Sunday.

The victim identified as Shani Patel, a junior economics major at the university, was shot and killed at an off-campus apartment in Newark, a spokeswoman for the Essex county prosecutor's office said.

Patel's roommate, a 23-year-old whose identity has not been released, graduated last year from the Newark campus of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Ms. Carter and the Newark police said. The roommate was in critical condition on Monday at University Hospital in Newark, reported the New York Times.

In a letter to the Rutgers University's Newark community, chancellor Nancy Cantor expressed shock and sadness at Patel's death.

"While law enforcement is still investigating and we understand that it was not a random act that led to Shani's death, it is a shock to lose a member of our community under any circumstances," Cantor said. "Our deepest condolences go out to Shani's family and to all who knew him as a student, colleague, or friend," she added.

An award of up to $10,000 has been announced for information that leads to arrest and conviction of the accused. The motive of the shooting is yet to be ascertained.

OneIndia News (With agency inputs)