Indian-origin motel manager Rakesh Ehagaban shot dead in Pittsburgh; asked gunman ‘Are you alright’

An Indian-origin motel manager, Rakesh Ehagaban, 51, was shot dead in Robinson Township, Pittsburgh, on 3 October. The incident occurred outside the motel premises, where Rakesh Ehagaban reportedly asked the armed accused, “Are you alright, bud?” moments before being shot, according to Triblive.

The motel’s surveillance cameras captured the exchange. The criminal complaint stated, “As (West) gets within feet of Rakesh Ehagaban, he raised his firearm and shoots him in the head."

Police mentioned that a 9 mm Blazer Luger was found on the sidewalk near Rakesh Ehagaban’s body.

Police registered a criminal case on Saturday. The accused, Stanley Eugene West, 37, was seen walking towards Ehagaban in the footage. The police later shot him, and he is in critical condition in the hospital.

He faces charges of criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and recklessly endangering another person.

Police confirmed that West had been staying at the motel in Robinson and is also linked to a residence on Page Street in Pittsburgh’s North Side.

The arrest papers showed that at around 1 pm (local time), Robinson police responded to Dick Kernick Tire & Auto Service Center, where West’s female companion had driven after being shot in the neck while seated in a car in the motel parking lot. A child who was in the back seat at the time of the shooting was unharmed and remained with the woman.

'Police detective injured by gunfire'

A police detective who was also shot during the incident was hospitalised and is now recovering at home, according to Martin Devine, Acting Chief, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.

“The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police detective injured by gunfire during the critical incident in East Hills on Friday is resting comfortably at home with his family and with the full support of his fellow officers and the Bureau. The family asks for privacy at this time. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is grateful to the incredible care provided by the doctors and nurses at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital and to all of our local law enforcement partners who work so hard to keep Allegheny County safe in the fight against violent crime,” CBS News quoted Martin Devine, acting chief.

According to the criminal complaint, a U-Haul moving van was parked in the lot next to the black sedan, and “after shooting Ehagaban, the actor (West) nonchalantly walks to the U-Haul and drives away.”

Police have not yet determined a motive for the shooting. They are tracking West’s actions leading up to and following the incident.