Indian-Origin Motel Manager Shot Dead in Pittsburgh, Suspect Arrested after Shootout

A 51-year-old Indian-origin motel manager was killed in a brazen shooting outside the Pittsburgh Motel in Robinson Township last Friday, authorities reported. Rakesh Ehagaban, who had managed the property, was gunned down at point-blank range after stepping out to investigate a commotion and innocently asking the suspect, "Are you alright, bud?" The tragic incident, captured on surveillance footage, has left the local Indian community in mourning and highlighted the dangers faced by those in service roles.

According to a criminal complaint cited by local media, the shooting unfolded around evening when Stanley Eugene West, 37, approached a black sedan driven by a female guest who had been staying at the motel for two weeks with her child. As she attempted to leave the premises, West fired at the driver's side door, shattering the window and striking the woman in the neck. The child in the back seat escaped unharmed. The gunfire alerted Ehagaban, who emerged from the motel to intervene. Surveillance video showed West, armed with a handgun, advancing toward Ehagaban before raising his weapon and firing a single shot to the head. Ehagaban collapsed and died at the scene.

West, who had been a guest at the motel, fled in a moving van parked nearby, leaving the woman to drive herself to a nearby automobile service center, where police found her in critical condition. Authorities tracked the van using license plate readers to the East Hills neighborhood of Pittsburgh. When detectives approached, West exited the vehicle and opened fire, sparking a brief but intense shootout. "The detectives returned fire," Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns stated during a press briefing. West was wounded and hospitalized in critical condition, while a Pittsburgh detective sustained injuries and was also admitted for treatment.

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West now faces charges of criminal homicide, attempted homicide, and recklessly endangering another person. The episode underscores broader concerns about gun violence in the United States, where interpersonal disputes can escalate rapidly. Ehagaban, originally from India and a fixture in the Pittsburgh community, was remembered by colleagues as compassionate and dedicated. Investigations continue as the victims recover, with police urging witnesses to come forward to piece together the events leading to the deadly confrontation.

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