The grief-stricken family of Savitha Chan, a 21-year-old University of Texas student who was shot and killed by a gunman at an Austin bar, issued a statement after their daughter was identified as the second victim of the shooting.
“It is with profound sadness and immeasurable sadness that we announce the tragic loss of our beloved daughter Savitha in the recent terrorist attack. She was 21 years old and our only child. Our hearts are broken beyond words,” the statement read. “Savitha was a bright, compassionate and deeply caring young woman whose presence brought warmth, comfort and joy to all who knew her. She was a dedicated student at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, where she pursued her studies with determination and distinction.
The Sge believes in hard work, serving others and living with integrity, the statement said. “Her sudden and heartbreaking passing has left an irreplaceable void in our lives and in the lives of all who loved her. The loss feels so unreal and so unjust, and the space she once illuminated now resonates with grief. As we mourn this unimaginable loss, we also hold in our hearts the other victims of this tragedy,” the statement read.
MMA star Jorge Pederson has been identified as the third victim
The third victim of the shooting at Buford’s Bar on West 6th Street in Austin early on the morning of Sunday, March 1, has been identified as Jorge Pederson. The 30-year-old rising MMA star was in hospital and died after being taken off life support. 19-year-old Ryder Harrington and 21-year-old Savita Chan were identified as the first and second victims.
Controversy over Savitha Shan’s Indian origin
Ndiaja Diagne, 53, an immigrant from Senegal, was the gunman who also wore a sweatshirt that said “God’s King” over a T-shirt bearing the Iranian flag. As many politicians spoke out against immigration and more than 70 Texas Republicans wrote a letter to Congress urging a halt to all immigration, many haters commented that Savitha should not be in the country either. “Savitha Shan should never have been allowed into our country,” American influencer Andrew Branca wrote, while many reminded him that Savitha was born in the US and was a Texan in the true sense of the word.
