A birthday celebration turned tragic in the United States as a 23-year-old Indian student died due to a misfire from his licensed gun. According to a report by India Today, Aryan Reddy, a native of Uppal in Telangana, lost his life on November 13 when the pistol was accidentally discharged.
Aryan was pursuing a Master’s degree at Georgia State University in Atlanta. His body is expected to arrive in his hometown of Uppal tonight. He had acquired a hunting gun licence in the US, and the fatal accident occurred while he was handling the firearm on his birthday.
Sudarshan Reddy, Aryan's father, urged parents through the media to discourage their children from using firearms or obtaining gun licences while studying abroad.
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According to India Today, India has surpassed China to become the top country sending students to foreign universities, particularly in the United States, during the 2023-24 academic year.
Over 56% of Indian students travelling to the US for higher education hail from southern states, including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Rebekah Drame, the US Consular Chief in Hyderabad, noted that the consulate conducted over 47,000 student visa interviews during the summer of 2024, compared to 35,000 in 2023.