Indian-Origin Motel Owner Murdered in Pittsburgh After Asking ‘Are You Okay?’

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a motel owner of Indian descent was fatally shot. The incident occurred on a Friday afternoon in the motel’s parking lot. The victim, identified as 51-year-old Rakesh Ehagaban, was the proprietor of the Pittsburgh Motel in Robinson Township. The fatal confrontation began when Ehagaban intervened in a dispute. He approached 37-year-old Stanley Eugene West and inquired, ‘Are you okay, friend?’ Moments later, West shot Ehagaban in the head. The entire event was captured on the motel’s CCTV cameras. Prior to the shooting of Ehagaban, West had been residing at the motel with a woman and a child. West had initially fired shots at his female companion in the motel parking lot, which prompted Ehagaban to investigate. The woman was shot in the neck while seated in a car with a child; she managed to drive to a nearby auto service center where authorities were notified. Following the murder, West fled the scene in a U-Haul van. He later engaged in a shootout with police in the East Hills area of Pittsburgh, during which a police detective was injured, and West was also shot. West now faces charges including criminal homicide and attempted homicide.