Kansas Shooting: American Hero Who Tried to Save Indian Engineers

“We’re all humans, so I just did what was right to do,” Grillot said.

Grillot during an interview from his hospital bed. (Photo Courtesy: YouTube/KUHospital)

While one American shot two Indian engineers Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and Alok Madasani, another one tried to defend them.

Ian Grillot, 24, became a hero when he tried to stop Adam Purinton from shooting the Indian men in a bar in Olathe, Kansas. Ian was shot in the hand and chest and is in the hospital.

"From what I understand, when he was throwing racial slurs at the two gentlemen (Kuchibhotla and Madasani), Ian (Grillot) stood up for them," Garret Bohnen, the bartender said. "We're all proud of him."

Grillot said in an interview from his hospital bed that when the shooting broke out, he hid until nine shots had been fired and he thought the suspect's gun magazine was empty.

“I got up and proceeded to chase him down, try to subdue him,” Grillot said in a video from the University of Kansas Health System posted on the Star website. “I got behind him and he turned around and fired a round at me.”

Grillot said that the bullet went through his hand and into his chest, just missing a major artery.

"It's not about where he (victim) was from or his ethnicity," Grillot said. "We're all humans, so I just did what was right to do."

In the video, he said that Alok Madasani visited him on Thursday in hospital.

“The gentleman who survived came to meet me. His wife was five months pregnant. It is terrible to lose a friend,” Grillot said as reported by NDTV, adding, “It put the biggest smile on my face in the last 24 hours.”

GoFundMe pages were started to help pay expenses for all three of the victims.

Purinton fled the spot and was arrested about five hours later, 80 km from Olathe, hiding in a bar. He reportedly told the bartender about the shooting and the bartender called the police.

(With inputs from AP.)