Kansas Shooting Hero Ian Grillot Invited to India

Ian Grillot, the American hero who tried to save Indian engineers Srinivas Kuchibhotla, and Alok Madasani in the Kansas shooting, has been released from the hospital.

Ian was injured in the 22 February shooting, which claimed the life of Kuchibhotla and injured Madasani.

The University of Kansas Health System confirmed that the 24-year-old has gone home, but there's still a long road to recovery after he took two bullets, in the hand and the chest.

He has been through many hurdles since the shooting and still faces physician appointments and other critical meetings in the days ahead.

The hospital said in a statement

Ian was released from the hospital late on Tuesday after spending nearly a week in medical care. He went back to the hospital to meet with Anupam Ray, consul-general of the Indian consulate in Houston.

Ray told Ian and his family that people in India were grateful for his heroics during the deadly melee. He also invited Ian and his family to visit India, the hospital reported.

Adam Purington, 51, is accused of the shooting and faces both murder and attempted murder charges.

The navy veteran is reported to have been harassing Kuchibhotla and Madasani – who both worked at GPS-maker Garmin – because he thought they were Iranian. Purington allegedly yelled "get out of my country" before opening gunfire on the pair, striking both along with Ian.

As he spoke to reporters on Tuesday, Ian recalled how he escorted Purington out of the bar where the shooting happened after he was was seen harassing the engineers. About half an hour later, Ian recalled, the shooter was back and firing.

“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.”

Purington escaped, however, and was arrested hours later at an Applebees about 70 miles away from the crime scene.

Grillot said Tuesday he didn't want to weigh in on what type of punishment Purington should get if he's found guilty, nor if he thought it was a hate crime. But that doesn't mean he's ready to forgive the suspected gunman anytime soon.

“I do feel sympathy for him, but his actions were unjustified and uncalled for,” he said.

Also read: Kansas Shooting: American Hero Who Tried to Save Indian Engineers

(With PTI inputs)