Pruthvi Raj Kandepi, a 25-year-old financial consultant from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district, was tragically killed on September 6, 2018, in a shooting at the Fifth Third Bank headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kandepi was among three people who lost their lives when Omar Enrique Santa Perez, a 29-year-old from North Bend, Ohio, opened fire in the bank building. The incident also left two other victims, Luis Felipe Calderon, 48, and Richard Newcomer, 64, dead.
Five people were shot in total, with some sustaining multiple injuries.
The gunman, Santa Perez, was armed with a pistol and over 200 rounds of ammunition. He had visited several businesses before arriving at the bank, where he began shooting in the loading dock area before moving into the lobby. Police officers responded to a 911 call about an active shooter and engaged in a shootout with Santa Perez, ultimately shooting him multiple times at the scene.
Following the tragic incident, the Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac confirmed that Santa Perez was not a former or current employee of the bank. The Telugu Association of North America coordinated with U.S. officials to repatriate Kandepi's body to India, where his funeral was held in Tenali, Andhra Pradesh.
The investigation into the shooting revealed that Santa Perez had no known connection to any of the victims, and the motive behind the attack remains unclear. The Cincinnati Police Department conducted a thorough investigation, but no additional suspects were identified. The case was treated as a criminal act, and Santa Perez was the only individual charged in connection with the shooting.
The loss of Pruthvi Raj Kandepi was deeply felt by his family, friends, and the community, both in the United States and in India. His father, Gopinadh, who works as a Deputy Executive Engineer at the AP Housing Corporation in Vijayawada, expressed profound grief over the loss of his son. The incident highlighted the need for increased security measures in public spaces and raised awareness about the impact of gun violence on individuals and communities.
In summary, Pruthvi Raj Kandepi, a 25-year-old Indian man, was killed in a tragic shooting at a bank in Cincinnati, Ohio, by Omar Enrique Santa Perez, who was later shot by police. The investigation concluded with Santa Perez as the sole suspect, and no further arrests or litigations were pursued. The case remains a somber reminder of the devastating effects of gun violence.
