The killing has prompted India’s consulate in Chicago to take up the issue with local police and the university.
New York: In yet another deadly attack on Indians and Indian-Americans in the US in recent months, a 34-year-old trained classical dancer from India and a student of Washington University, was shot dead in St Louis, Missouri.
Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer Amarnath Ghosh, who migrated to the US from Kolkata last year “to follow his dancing dreams,” was shot several times near the border of St Louis’ Academy and Central West End neighbourhoods. He died on the spot.
According to the St Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting happened at 7:15 pm on Tuesday at Delmar Boulevard and Clarendon Avenue, news portal 5 On Your Side reported on Friday.
Ghosh was pursuing his master’s in the Performing Arts Department of Washington University.
Calling him a “very friendly and very talented,” Ghosh’s friends Hima Kuppa and Ravi Kuppa said, “He was always travelling a lot for his performances. A lot of organisations called him for performances, but he always wanted to come back to St Louis.”
Ghosh was learning ballet and dance. “I think it was a full scholarship at Wash U. His ultimate dream was to get his PhD in dance and work full-time with us at our Kuchipudi Art Academy,” Hima was quoted as saying by 5 On Your Side.