Kansas shooting: Srinivas Kuchibhotla’s killer gets lifer
A US Navy veteran who killed Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in a racially motivated hate crime at a bar in Kansas City last year has been sentenced to life in prison.
In March this year, Adam Purinton, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.
He was charged with first-degree murder of Kuchibhotla, 32, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shootings of his friend, Alok Madasani, and a bystander, who chased Purinton after he fled the Austin's Bar and Grill in Olathe city on February 22 last year.
Purinton,
yelled,
"Get
out
of
my
country,"
before
shooting
Kuchibhotla,
who
later
died
from
injuries
sustained
in
the
attack.
A
federal
judge
in
Kansas
yesterday
sentenced
Purinton
to
life
in
prison
for
the
first-degree
murder
of
Kuchibhotla
and
165
months
imprisonment
for
each
of
the
other
two
murder
charges.
Kuchibhotla is survived by his wife Sunayana Dumala, who welcomed the court's decision.
"Today's sentencing in the murder of my husband will not bring back my Srinu, but it sends a strong message that hate is never acceptable," a statement by Dumala said. "I want to thank the District Attorney's office and the Olathe police for their efforts to bring this man to justice", the statement also read.