Baton Rouge (Louisiana), December 14
Two Indian doctoral students were found shot dead in an apparent home invasion in Louisiana University campus apartment and the police today were searching for three suspects in the killings.
The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both international Ph. D students at Louisiana State University (LSU), were found inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex, the police said. They were discovered after a call to campus police yesterday seeking medical attention. Authorities did not release their nationalities or other details.
No suspects have been identified.
An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said. The problem was being investigated.
Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and pasted a message to the LSU
web site. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the mass shooting of 32 persons at Virginia Tech earlier this year by a gunman, who killed himself.
“From what we’re being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot,” Zewe said. “The other man was found near the door.”
Allam’s wife called authorities after returning home and finding the men dead, said Srinvasa Pothakamuri, a friend of Kommas. Koma, a biochemistry student was visiting the apartment. Allam was in the chemistry programme.
The killings were the first homicides on LSU’s campus since the early 1990s, said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman.
“Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus,” she said. — AP
