CHICAGO - A 14-year-old boy was charged in connection with a shooting in a South Side Walmart parking lot that killed a graduate student from India and seriously wounded his roommate earlier this year.
The boy, whose identity has not been released because he is a juvenile, is accused of being one of the suspects who robbed Devasish Nandepu, 23, and his 22-year-old roommate at gunpoint on Jan. 22 in the 8400 block of South Holland Street, according to police.
The men were handing over their belongings when the boy started shooting them, police said.
Nandepu was struck in the armpit and was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
The 22-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition, police said.
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Nandepu and his roommates were all from India and had met only a few weeks earlier, Gogada said. They had taken the bus to run errands and were walking to the Walmart through the parking lot when a stolen Kia Forte pulled up and two people in masks jumped out and demanded the men’s cash and phones, according to Gogada and police.
One of the robbers opened fire even as the three men tried to hand over their cash— a total of about $6, said Gogada, who grabbed his phone and called 911 while tending to his wounded friends.
"I could see blood coming from (Nandepu’s) mouth and he was losing consciousness, so I kept him awake," said Gogada, who was unhurt.
The boy was arrested Monday in the 10700 block of South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
He was charged with first-degree murder, murder/forcible felony and armed robbery with a firearm.
Nandepu's 22-year-old roommate recovered from his injuries and has returned to India. Nandepu’s family came to the United States to retrieve his body.
Nandepu had enrolled in computer science classes at Governors State University in the south suburbs, and had hoped to one day work for a large Silicon Valley company.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to his report.
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