Koyyada Ravi Teja, 26, was searching for a job after completing his master’s in the US, looking forward to getting married as per his parents’ wishes and settling down in the country. He and his younger sister, a student in the US, wanted to relocate their parents as well. Unfortunately, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time on January 18.
Teja was shot dead outside a building in Washington DC where he had gone to deliver a food order, which was part of his part-time job. While attempting to escape, the robbers reportedly came face to face with Teja outside the building, shot him point-blank and escaped, according to his family members back at Green Hills Colony in Hyderabad’s Chaitanyapuri area. Teja reportedly suffered two bullet injuries and died on the spot.
“I knew something was wrong when I received a call at 4 am today,” said Koyyada Chandramouli, Teja’s father. The inconsolable man was informed by the father of Teja’s roommate about the tragic news. “Soon I understood they were hiding something from me. His mother and I should have gone to the US for our daughter’s convocation recently. We would have at least seen him one last time,” the father said.
Teja’s mother Suvarna has been in shock since she got the news. “Please bring my son back once for me to see his face,” she said.
Teja had recently completed his master’s from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, while his sister Shriya recently graduated with a master’s from a university in Chicago. “On the 25th of last month, he turned 26 years old. He was planning to visit his parents in Hyderabad once he secured a job. The family was looking for a bride for him. He would have been married this year, and he wanted to relocate his parents to the US, just like some of his cousins,” said his uncle Koyyada Muthyam.
“He used to call his daddy every day. He was a good child who wanted to live for his parents,” said Muthyam, adding that the family has very little information about his death. The incident, according to him, happened in broad daylight at around 1.30 pm in the afternoon. The bereaved parents are now concerned about the processes involved in bringing the body back home.
Chandramouli is a cab driver and runs his own business, while Teja’s mother is a homemaker.
G Kishore, Teja’s cousin, said the family was so happy when he went to the US for higher studies in March 2022. “He faced no hiccups regarding the visa or admission process. It was such a big relief. This is so unfortunate. He was only at the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said. After the incident, Teja’s employer called his roommate since he didn’t return to the office, and together they tracked down Teja’s GPS to find out about the shooting and the death of an Indian in the incident.
Teja’s cousins Kavya, Satish and Dileep said that one of his friends had recently been killed in the US. “They both shared the same name, Teja, and were friends,” said Kavya.
In December, 2024, 22-year-old Sai Teja Nukarapu, who hailed from Khammam district of Telangana, was killed at a gas station near Chicago, where he used to work at a store. He had completed a BBA in India and was pursuing an MBA in the US.
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