It may not seem like much, but Adam W. Purinton of Olathe, Kansas, has pleaded guilty in federal court to enhanced charges of committing a hate crime for shooting Indian nationals and the man who tried to chase Purinton.
Although Purinton has already been convicted of murder in the State of Kansas, and sentenced to life in prison, his new plea in federal court speaks to his motive to killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla and wounding Alok Madasani and Ian Grillot, said FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Darrin Jones.
“By his agreement to today’s (May 21) plea, Purinton acknowledges that his actions were motivated by his hatred of the victims’ race, religion, color and national origin. This type of hatred will never be tolerated,” said Jones.
A few weeks before the shooting, Purinton was sitting by himself in the bar area at Austins Bar & Grill when, coincidentally, Kuchibhotla and Madasani, both Indian Americans, both tech workers with legal visas, happened to be having a drink on the patio. According to court documents, upon noticing the two men, Purinton commented to a regular sitting at the bar, “Did you see the terrorists on the patio?”
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On Feb. 22, last year, Purinton drove to the bar and grill and sat by himself at a table on the enclosed front patio. Sitting at the table to his left were Ian Grillot and several other patrons. Sitting at the table to his right were Kuchibhotla and Madasani.
At 6:40 p.m., Purinton approached Kuchibhotla and Madasani, and demanded to know where they were from and how they entered the country. Purinton poked Kuchibhotla in the chest, called him a “terrorist” and an epithet disparaging persons of Middle Eastern descent, and shouted, “Get out of my country!” Ian Grillot and another patron interceded, told Purinton that he needed to leave, and escorted him out of the bar.
Purinton drove home and retrieved one of his guns: a Taurus PT111 Millennium Pro nine-mm semi-automatic pistol. To disguise his identity, Purinton changed into a different shirt and grabbed a blue-and-white scarf.
At 7:12 p.m., Purinton returned to the restaurant. He wrapped the scarf around his face to disguise his identity and exited his truck carrying his semi-automatic pistol.
Purinton walked over to the enclosed front patio, opened the door, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at the two Indian Americans, and fired eight rounds—at least four of which struck Kuchibhotla, who died from his injuries, and one of which struck Madasani, who was injured, but survived.
Hours after the shooting, Purinton stated over the phone to a friend, and later in person to a bartender, that he had just killed some Iranians.
After shooting Kuchibhotla and Madasani, Purinton ran out, and Ian Grillot chased after him. As Grillot caught up to him, Purinton turned around and shot Grillot, who was injured but survived.
Purinton faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, which is the sentence that the prosecution and defense are jointly requesting. Sentencing is scheduled for July 2.
“Hate crimes are acts of evil, and the Department of Justice has prioritized their zealous prosecution,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “In this case, the defendant embarked on a murderous rampage with clear premeditation to kill on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin. It was a hate crime, and he is being brought to justice.
“While we cannot ameliorate the irreparable harm to the victims and their families, we hope that securing this guilty plea brings them some measure of closure,” said Panuccio. “And this prosecution sends a message across the nation: hate crimes will not be tolerated.”
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