Indian-origin student, Shani Patel, dies in shooting incident in US; reward offered for information

Pic courtesy: Toms River Regional School District

New York: A 21-year-old Indian-origin student at Rutgers University was killed and his roommate seriously injured in a shooting incident at their apartment near the New Jersey university's Newark campus.

Shani Patel, a junior economics major at the university, was shot and killed on Sunday at an off-campus apartment building in Newark, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office as saying.

Patel's roommate, whose identity was not released, was seriously injured in the shooting, authorities said.

The Rutgers Police Department said the shooting was not random and that the downtown campus, which serves about 12,000 students, was not under threat, The New York Times reported.

Authorities are investigating the incident.

Essex County Prosecutor s office and Newark Public Safety Director said in a statement that no suspects have been identified so far and no arrests have been made.

The investigation "is active and ongoing", they said.

Two assailants, both believed to be in their early to mid-20s, fled the scene.

An award of up to USD 10,000 was being offered for information that leads to arrest and conviction.

In a letter to the Rutgers University s Newark community, Chancellor Nancy Cantor expressed shock and sadness at Patel's death.

"While law enforcement is still investigating and we understand that it was not a random act that led to Shani's death, it is a shock to lose a member of our community under any circumstances," Cantor said.

"Our deepest condolences go out to Shani's family and to all who knew him as a student, colleague, or friend," she added.

The Rutgers police said in a statement issued to the Newark campus that the shooting occurred inside a private residence.

(With Agency inputs)