Indian among four killed in Cincinnati, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj dismisses ‘hate crime’ angle

New Delhi: An Indian visitor to the US and three others of Indian origin were shot dead in Cincinnati on Sunday evening (local time), External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed on Tuesday.

“Indian Ambassador in United States @IndianEmbassyUS has informed me about the killing of four persons in Cincinnati on Sunday evening. One of them was an Indian national on a visit to US while others were persons of Indian origin” she tweeted. Swaraj, however, confirmed that the incident was not a “hate crime” as claimed by a section of the media.

“The matter is under investigation by the Police but it is not a hate crime. Our Consul General in New York is coordinating with the concerned authorities and will keep me informed me on this,” another tweet read.

The Indian Consulate in New York also assured that they were in contact with the police as well as the family of the deceased, and reiterated that prima facie, the incident is not a hate crime. According to media reports, four people – one woman and three men – were found dead at an apartment in Ohio’s Cincinnati city on Sunday evening.

West Chester Township Police Chief Joel Herzog had said at a media briefing on Monday that a relative of the deceased called 911 after discovering the bodies of the four victims on Sunday night. Herzog had also mentioned that the killer is on the run, and assured that police is “closely following” the matter