NEW YORK: The Indian Consulate in Houston said that efforts are being made to repatriate the mortal remains of the Indian engineer who was shot dead on May 6 in a shooting spree at a mall in the US state of Texas.
The US Consulate said that two more Indian nationals were injured during the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen near Dallas. One of the nine victims was Aishwarya Thatikonda, a 27-year-old Telangana engineer.
"The consulate is making it easier to complete the necessary procedures in relation to the deceased's mortal remains. The unfortunate shooting event has also resulted in the injuries of two additional Indian citizens, the Indian Consulate General in Houston (CGI) tweeted on Tuesday.
We communicate frequently with the local and hospital authorities, the injured people's loved ones, and community leaders. Officials from the consulate are in Dallas to help in any way they can, the CGI tweeted in an update.
The CGI had expressed condolences and had stated on Monday that it was in contact with the deceased's family as well as the regional authorities and was closely observing the situation. Our officers are on the scene to help in any way they can. We are keeping a close eye on the situation, the CGI stated.
Aishwarya, a native of Hyderabad's Saroornagar neighbourhood, was employed as a project manager with Perfect General Contractors LLC in Texas.
Her family was in deep distress after receiving the news of her death.
Gunman Mauricio Garcia, 33, shot Aishwarya and a friend as they were out shopping. Garcia had previously served in the US army but had been discharged due to mental health issues.
He was shot dead by a law enforcement officer who was patrolling the area. Gun laws are among the weakest in Texas.
The state, which is governed by Republicans, has experienced some of the worst mass shootings in recent memory, including the massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde in May, which resulted in the deaths of 19 pupils and two teachers.
Texas mall shooter kills at least 9 people before being shot dead by police
