With the death of an Indian dancer, Amarnath Ghosh, in the US, a spotlight has been put on the recent spate of gun-related deaths of Indians and Indian-Origin people in the US.

34-year-old Ghosh, who was a trained classical dancer from India studying at Washington University, was shot dead in St. Louis, Missouri.

Reacting to the incident, the Indian embassy in Chicago wrote on X, "Consulate is extending all help to relatives of deceased Amarnath Ghosh. Taken up the case strongly with St Louis police and the University for investigation of the reprehensible gun attack."

The Week reported that Ghosh's uncle, Shyamal, was still in the dark about details surrounding his nephew's death even after four days of his killing. 

We had informed the district police and administration about what we had heard from various sources. But till today, we don't have any details about his death," Shyamlal said.

The West Bengal native was pursuing his master's in the Performing Arts Department of Washington University. Ghosh also received the Ministry of Culture's national scholarship for Kuchipudi and the Nritya Kanak Mani Saman at New Delhi's International Dance and Music Festival.

Ghosh's untimely demise was brought to public attention by his friend, a television actor, Devoleena Bhattacharjee, who had posted on X to inform about the incident and appealed for help to claim his body.

Other cases

On February 23, 29-year-old Raj Singh, aka Goldy, a member of a Sikh kirtan group, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Selma, Alabama. Singh was from Tanda Sahuwala village in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. He was a ragi (musician) in the United States with his musical group for a year and a half.

While the motive for Singh's murder has not yet been ascertained, Singh's family believes that he was a victim of a hate crime. 

However, GVWire, a Selma-based news outlet, citing Sergeant Caleb Garcia, reported that Selma police denied any indication of Raj Singh's killing being racially motivated.

Singh was his family's sole breadwinner and is survived by his mother, two sisters and a younger brother. His family has urged the Indian government to make arrangements to retrieve his body for his cremation.

On February 13, in San Mateo, California, an Indian-American family of four was found dead in their residence, where police had been dispatched to conduct a welfare check. The San Mateo Police Department identified the deceased as Anand Sujith Henry (42), his wife Alice Priyanka (40), and their twin children, Noah and Neithan (4). 

Investigating the case as a murder-suicide with Henry as the suspect, the police, in a statement, revealed that the two adults had died due to gunshot wounds. At the same time, the children's cause of death remains undetermined. Authorities obtained a 9mm loaded pistol in the bathroom where the parents' bodies were discovered. 

The New Indian Express reported that the family's relatives had revealed family issues between the couple, but they refused to share more details.

Earlier in February, once again in Alabama, a 76-year-old motel owner Pravin Raojibhai Patel was fatally shot by 34-year-old customer William Jeremy Moore in a dispute over a room. The incident took place in the Hillcrest Motel, Sheffield. According to witnesses, three gunshots were fired.

"Moore was quickly apprehended by Sheffield Police on 13th Avenue when he was trying to break into an abandoned house," said Sheffield Police Chief Ricky Terry.

The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) released a statement expressing their anguish and anger at the horrifying act.

"Senseless acts of violence have no place in our communities, and our hearts are breaking for Pravin's family, including his wife, children, and grandchildren," said AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel.

Since the beginning of the year, the deaths of at least half a dozen Indian and Indian-origin people in the United States have caused concern in the community. Some of the most notable instances were the case of 25-year-old Indian student Vivek Saini being fatally attacked by a homeless drug addict in Georgia State's Lithonia city, and an 18-year-old Akul B Dhawan being found dead with signs of hypothermia. Syden Mazahir Ali, an Indian student in Chicago, was attacked by robbers, but survived with injuries. 

The series of attacks on Indians and people of Indian origin prompted Indian Embassy officials in Washington and its consulates at different places to hold virtual interactions with students across the United States. Various aspects of student well-being were discussed, along with ways to remain connected with the larger diaspora.