Indian student dies in US after accidental gun misfire

Telangana (The Uttam Hindu): A 23-year-old student from Telangana tragically lost his life in the United States after accidentally misfiring his gun on his birthday. The incident occurred on November 13. Aryan Reddy, originally from Uppal in Telangana, was pursuing a Master's degree at Georgia State University when the accident took place. Aryan's body is expected to return to Telangana tonight. Reports indicate that he had obtained a hunting gun license in the US. Reddy succumbed to bullet injuries after the gun misfired while he was handling it on his birthday.

Speaking to the media, Aryan’s father, Sudarshan Reddy, expressed deep sorrow and advised other parents to be cautious about their children obtaining gun licenses while studying abroad. “We had no idea that students could acquire hunting gun licenses in the US. No parent should ever experience such a tragedy,” he said. Meanwhile, US consular officials in Hyderabad reported that India has now surpassed China as the leading country sending students to US universities for the 2023-24 academic year. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are key contributors, accounting for nearly 56% of Indian students heading to the US, with 34% from Telangana and 22% from Andhra Pradesh.

Rebekah Drame, Hyderabad’s US Consular Chief, noted that the consulate conducted over 47,000 student visa interviews in the summer of 2024, an increase from 35,000 in 2023. Public Affairs Officer Alexander McLaren highlighted that India sent approximately 3.3 lakh students to the US last year, with the majority pursuing Master's degrees.