Olathe killing does not represent Kansas values, says Indian American Mayor Usha Reddi

The Manhattan, Kansas, mayor says the shooting is an isolated incident.

Indian American Mayor of Manhattan, Kansas, Usha Reddi on Monday said that the attacks on Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani in Olathe bar last week do not reflect the values of Kansas or the United States, WIBW reported.

Reddi, who immigrated to the US from India when she was eight, told the CBS-affiliated television station that after the attack at Olathe Austin’s restaurant she received a number of calls from family members, making sure that she was safe.

“I needed to let them know that everything was okay,” Reddi told WIBW. “At the same time I was kind of concerned about my own children even though they grew up in Manhattan, Kansas.”

She said that the shooting has certainly raised fears among immigrants, but it was an isolated incident.

“There is a little anxiety because you realize this can happen, it can happen to you,” Reddi said. “America is a wonderful country, being an immigrant and being elected to an office and now being mayor that speaks volumes to the citizens of the United States and particularly Manhattan Kansas. You don’t see that happening everywhere else.”

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She continued: “As fearful or anxiety ridden as we may be it’s still a great place to live, it’s still one of the best places to be, It’s still one of the best places to be, I still feel comfortable walking down the street every day.”

Manhattan, a small city of roughly 53,000 people, is 115 miles to the west of Olathe, KS.