Weekend rituals in tens of thousands of Indian homes involve parents and family members waiting for or initiating calls to their loved ones in America to catch up on mutual wellbeing.
Aishwarya Thatikonda called her father T Narsi Reddy, a sessions judge in Ranga Reddy District in Telangana, from Texas on Saturday.
A few hours later, Reddy called her back, worried that the mass shooting incident had taken place at an outlet mall she had told her mother she would be visiting with her friend Shreyas only a few hours before.
Unfortunately, Aishwarya, at the young age of 27, was found dead with eight other victims, including a five-year-old boy, outside the premium outlet mall in Allen, Texas.
The shooter, later identified as Mauricio Garcia, a neo-Nazi extremist, was working as a security guard after his dismissal from the Army over mental health concerns.
According to local news media, he lay nearby in a pool of blood, brought down by a cop who was in the mall on another call.
The incident has sparked genuine apprehension among many Indian parents about sending their children to study in the US, a colleague who recently visited India told this correspondent. They are now looking at alternate options like Canada and Australia, which are perceived to be much safer.
Aishwarya had earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2018 from Osmania University in Hyderabad before earning a master's degree in construction management from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.
She found work soon after she graduated as a project engineer with Perfect General Contractors LLC, a firm in Frisco, Texas, 20 minutes from McKinney, where she lived, and an equal distance from Allen.
The frequency of mass shootings in America, which has now become a significant issue, has sparked debates for gun control legislation in the country. Despite this, gun-lovers, including a majority of Republicans, are largely opposed to such legislation.
In recent months, Texas passed a legislation allowing "open carry" of handguns without permit, license, or training.
On Sunday, the Texas governor, Greg Abbott, blamed the carnage in Allen on anger stemming from a mental health crisis.
However, in 2022, Texas was ranked last in the country in overall access to mental health care, according to data analyzed by Mental Health America, cited by the Los Angeles Times.
The only message Abbott posted on the latest massacre read: "The hearts of all Texans are with Allen, Texas. Tonight, I joined my fellow Texans in Allen for a community vigil for the innocent lives lost last night and those who are recovering from injuries. As this community heals, Texas will be with you every step of the way."
For Aishwarya's family in Telangana, the message was meaningless.
