Indian Software Engineer Sharif Rahman Khan Shot Dead in Girlfriend’s Apartment in St. Louis Suburb
- The 32-year-old Bhopal native was killed by a 23-year-old man, who reportedly had a “romantic fixation” with Khan’s girlfriend.
An Indian man was shot dead on March 31 in University City, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Sharif Rahman Khan, 32, a software engineer from Bhopal, was killed by a 23-year-old man, who reportedly had a “romantic fixation” with Khan’s girlfriend. Khan was found with gunshot injuries at his girlfriend’s apartment. He died during treatment at a hospital.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the suspect was later arrested by the police and identified as Cole J. Miller. He is charged with murder, armed criminal action and receiving stolen property. Charges say police found two .380-caliber shell casings at the crime scene and a cellphone that belonged to Miller, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Khan’s girlfriend told the police that she had some issues with a suspect whom she knew as ‘John Mills.’ She shared a phone number with investigators, who found that police had received a call from that number on March 29 to report that the girl had been “kidnapped.”
Two witnesses saw the altercation between Khan and Miller, as per local media. One saw Khan involved in a scuffle with another man and Khan throw a punch before hearing gunfire. Another reported hearing arguing and told police that Miller had shot Khan.
Miller later told the police he had gone to the apartment “because he believed the female resident was being trafficked.” He said that after arguing with a man who knocked the cellphone from his hands, he shot the man three times during a struggle. He’s being held in lieu of $500,000 cash-only bail. Court records say Miller is on probation for two gun charges in St. Louis County and has a pending case of domestic assault and harassment in St. Louis.
A now closed GoFundMe page, started by Sharif’s friends has raised $26,293. “We, Sharif’s friends, initiated this campaign for his funeral rites,” the page says. “Emotions ran high, as we all wanted one of his last desires fulfilled, that is for him to be back in India.” However, because of Khan’s family wishes and his Islamic faith, the burial had to take place as quickly as possible after death. “Thus it becomes imperative to have his funeral rites here in St.Louis. We are ending this campaign here.”