New York: In yet another deadly attack on Indians and Indian-Americans in the US in recent months, a 34-year-old trained classical dancer from India and a student of Washington University was shot dead in St Louis, Missouri.
Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam dancer Amarnath Ghosh, who migrated to the US from Kolkata last year to follow his dancing dreams, was shot several times near the border of St Louis’ Academy and Central West End neighborhoods. He died on the spot.
According to the St Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting happened at 7:15 pm on Tuesday at Delmar Boulevard and Clarendon Avenue, news portal 5 On Your Side’ reported on Friday.
Ghosh was pursuing his master’s in the Performing Arts Department of Washington University.
Calling him very friendly and very talented, Ghosh’s friends Hima Kuppa and Ravi Kuppa said he was always traveling a lot for his performances. A lot of organizations called him for performances, but he always wanted to come back to St Louis.
Ghosh was learning ballet and dance. I think it was a full scholarship at Wash U. His ultimate dream was to get his Ph.D. in dance and work full-time with us at our Kuchipudi Art Academy, Hima was quoted as saying by 5 On Your Side.’
He enjoyed volunteering as a dance instructor at a local studio and taught children between the ages 5 and 18. His friends told the news outlet that Ghosh was the only child of his parents; his mother died three years ago and his father died when he was a child.
Gosh’s killing has prompted India’s consulate in Chicago to take up the issue with local police and the university.
Asserting that the mission is extending all help to the relatives of deceased Amarnath Ghosh, India’s Consulate in Chicago posted on X that it has taken up the case strongly with St Louis police and the University for investigation of the reprehensible gun attack.
