A Kansas man accused of killing an Indian man and wounding two others in a shooting in a bar screamed for them to “get out of (his) country” before opening fire, witnesses said.
Adam W. Purinton, 51, of Olathe, is charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the Wednesday night shooting at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe. Two of the men who were shot are Indian nationals and the third is a local resident.
Witnesses told the Kansas City Star that Purinton was drinking and hurling racial slurs at Srinivas Kuchibhotla, 32, and Alok Madasani, 32, before he was kicked out of the bar. The bar was packed at the time with patrons watching the Kansas-TCU basketball game on television.
Purinton returned a short time later with a gun, authorities said.
At least one witness heard him scream for the men to leave the country before he opened fire, the Star reported. The third man who was injured, Ian Grillot, 24, also of Olathe, was shot when he intervened, police said.
Kuchibhotla died a short time later at a hospital. Madasani was treated for his injuries and was released on Thursday.
Grillot, who remained hospitalized, spoke Thursday about the shooting in a video released by the University of Kansas Health System. From his hospital bed, he recalled hiding under a table when the gunman initially began shooting.
After hearing what sounded like nine shots, he thought the magazine of Purinton’s gun was empty, he said.
"I got up and proceeded to chase him down, try to subdue him so the police could come in and do what they needed to do," Grillot said. "I guess I miscounted, with everything going on. I got behind him and he turned around and fired a round at me."
The bullet went through his hand and into his chest, where it fractured a bone in his neck and barely missed his carotid artery, Grillot said.
“It could be better, but it could be a lot worse,” he said. “I’m grateful to be alive. Another half-inch and I could be dead or never walk again.”
Grillot was praised by many for stepping in to stop the gunman.
Grillot shrugged off suggestions that he is a hero.
“I was just doing what anyone should have done for another human being,” Grillot said, a tear falling down his cheek. “It’s not about where he’s from or his ethnicity. We’re all humans. I did what was naturally right to do.”
He said he and Madasani, whose wife is five months pregnant, have spoken and become friends since the shooting.
"I'm just very grateful that one of the gentlemen is fine and alive," Grillot said. "It's terrible what happened to his friend. But I think he was watching over us last night, making sure that we made it through it all right."
Purinton, a Navy veteran, former pilot and air traffic controller, fled the bar on foot, the Star reported. About five hours later, he told the bartender at a Clinton, Missouri, Applebee's that he needed a place to hide because he'd killed two Middle Eastern men.
The bartender called police and Purinton was arrested without incident, the Star reported. He was being held in the Henry County Jail in lieu of $2 million bond.
‘The kindest person you would meet’
Kuchibhotla and Madasani, who both lived in Overland Park, worked together as engineers on the aviation systems engineering team at Garmin Ltd., which has its headquarters in Olathe.
Garmin on Friday posted a photo on its Facebook page that showed the flags outside its headquarters lowered to honor the men. In a public statement, the company said it is devastated by the tragedy that killed Kuchibhotla and injured Madasani and Grillot.
"Srinivas was a valued member of our engineering team and will be greatly missed," the statement read. "We are working closely with Srinivas' and Alok's families and appreciate the outpouring of support for them. As we grieve this tragedy as a community, our thoughts and prayers are with all involved."
Brandon Blum, the owner of Austins Bar & Grill, also offered sympathy to the victims and their families in a statement posted on the bar's website.
“We are so sorry that this happened on our premises,” Blum wrote. “We have never experienced any sort of tragedy like this in our 30 years. For all of our loyal friends and patrons, we want to thank you for your ongoing support.
“We will be working diligently, doing anything we can to support and help the parties that were involved.”
Blum wrote that the bar would remain closed until Saturday to allow staff and patrons time to process what happened.
GoFundMe pages have been set up to help Kuchibhotla's widow and parents, as well as to help Madasani and Grillot with medical expenses. The page for Kuchibhotla said the funds would go toward funeral expenses and the expenses of sending his body back to India "so his parents can say goodbye one last time to their beloved son."
"Srini was the kindest person you would meet, full of love, care and compassion for everyone," the page read. "He never uttered a word of hatred, a simple gossip or a careless comment. He was brilliant, well-mannered and simply an outstanding human being."
As of Friday afternoon, the page had raised more than $400,000.
The second fundraising page aimed at helping Kuchibhotla and Madasani was started by a stranger. Brian Ford of Shawnee, Kansas, wrote on the page that he was motivated to help when he learned of the shooting. He said he has a friend who worked with both men at Garmin.
“Let's send a message that we will support those who are targeted -- and stand against all who wish to spread hate -- by raising funds to help the victims of this horrendous act of senseless violence,” Ford wrote.
That page had raised nearly $60,000 as of Friday. The GoFundMe page set up to help Grillot with his medical bills had nearly reached its $200,000 goal.
Police officials on Thursday declined to say whether the shooting might be considered a hate crime. Local officials were investigating the case with assistance from the FBI and the Department of Justice.
The Kansas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called for state and federal hate crime charges to be brought against Purinton, the Star reported. Hate crime charges would "send a strong message that violence targeting religious or ethnic minorities will not be tolerated," said Moussa Elbayoumy, chapter chairman.
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