A shocking incident unfolded outside a motel in Robinson Township, Pittsburgh, when a 51-year-old motel manager of Indian origin, Rakesh Ehagaban, was fatally shot at close range after attempting to intervene in a violent confrontation.
How the Incident Took Place?
According to police reports, the accused, Stanley Eugene West, 37, had been residing at the Pittsburgh Motel for nearly two weeks. He was accompanied by a woman and a child during his stay. The deadly chain of events began when West allegedly opened fire on the woman, described as his companion, while she was seated in her vehicle outside the motel with the child in the back seat.
Authorities say the woman was struck in the neck by gunfire. Despite her serious injuries, she managed to drive herself and the child to a nearby auto service center, where police later found her around 1:00 pm. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Fortunately, the child was not harmed during the incident.
The noise and commotion outside reportedly drew Ehagaban out of the motel to investigate. Surveillance footage cited in the criminal complaint shows that Ehagaban approached West and asked, “Are you alright, bud?” In a sudden and unprovoked act, West is seen walking toward Ehagaban and, as stated in the police report, “As (West) gets within feet of Rakesh Ehagaban, he raised his firearm and shoots him in the head.” The motel manager died at the scene.
A 9mm Blazer Luger handgun was later recovered near the victim’s body.
Shooter Calmly Flees
After shooting Ehagaban, West calmly walked to a U-Haul van parked nearby and drove off. The criminal complaint noted, “After shooting Ehagaban, the actor (West) nonchalantly walks to the van and drives away.”
Investigators utilised license plate recognition technology to trace the van’s location. A manhunt led authorities to the East Hills neighborhood of Pittsburgh. There, when confronted by officers, West reportedly began firing at them. During the exchange, a Pittsburgh detective was shot in the leg, and officers returned fire, injuring the suspect.
Both the detective and the suspect were hospitalised. West remains in critical condition. He has been charged with criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and recklessly endangering another person.
The injured officer is recovering at home. In a statement, Acting Pittsburgh Police Chief Martin Devine said, “The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police detective injured by gunfire during the critical incident in East Hills on Friday is resting comfortably at home with his family and with the full support of his fellow officers and the Bureau. The family asks for privacy at this time.”
Authorities Thank First Responders After Shooting Spree
Investigators confirmed that West also had an address registered on Page Street, located on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Authorities are still working to determine the motive behind the attack and are reviewing additional surveillance footage to piece together the suspect’s movements before and after the shooting.
This attack comes just weeks after another brutal crime involving an Indian national. In Dallas, Texas, Chandramouli Nagamallaiah, 50, was beheaded in front of his wife and child over an alleged argument related to a broken washing machine at a motel.
The back-to-back tragedies have drawn concern from communities both in the United States and India, as questions rise around the safety of motel owners and workers many of whom belong to immigrant communities.
