VIJAYAWADA: A 26-year-old Indian-origin student from Andhra Pradesh, studying in Chicago, allegedly died by suicide on Thursday, police said.
The deceased, identified as Chandu Iraganaboyina from Kurnool district, is suspected to have shot himself. Police are investigating how he was able to procure a firearm while on a non-immigrant visa.
Chandu's friends claimed he had been under severe financial stress. His family, too, was reportedly facing financial strain after taking an education loan to support his studies in the US.
Chicago Police shifted the body to a hospital and recorded statements from his roommates and friends. According to one of his friends, Chandu had scheduled emails and messages to several acquaintances before his death, which have been shared with the police.
“They took our friend’s body and told us that we won’t be able to see him again. We are in shock and unable to understand what to do and what will happen next,” he said.
Roommates described Chandu as an introvert who rarely spoke about his personal life. “Though we shared the room, we didn’t know much about him. He never discussed his family issues, but we understood he had been dealing with financial problems, which may have contributed to his situation,” one of them said.
Meanwhile, members of the Telugu community in the US have launched a fundraiser of $25,000 to help repatriate his mortal remains to India.
