23-year-old Telangana student dies after gun misfires on birthday in US

A 23-year-old student from Telangana died in the United States after he accidentally misfired from his gun on his birthday. The incident happened on November 13. Aryan Reddy, a native of Telangana’s Uppal, was pursuing Master’s degree at Georgia State University.
The 23-year-old’s body is expected to arrive in Telangana tonight. Reports revealed that Aryan had obtained a hunting gun licence in the US. Reddy died of bullet injuries after the gun accidentally misfired when he was using the firearm on his birthday.
Speaking to the media, Aryan’s father, Sudarshan Reddy, expressed profound grief and urged other parents to exercise caution about their children obtaining gun licence while studying abroad. “We were unaware that students could acquire hunting gun licences there. No parent should ever face such a tragedy,” he said.
Meanwhile, data shared by US consular officials in Hyderabad revealed India displaced China to become the top country sending students to US universities in 2023-24. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana played a pivotal role, with nearly 56 per cent of Indian students heading to the US from these two states: 34 per cent from Telangana and 22 per cent from Andhra Pradesh.
Hyderabad’s US consular chief, Rebekah Drame, highlighted that the consulate conducted over 47,000 student visa interviews in the 2024 summer season, up from 35,000 in 2023. Public affairs officer Alexander McLaren emphasised the demand for visas, stating that India sent nearly 3.3 lakh students to the US last year, with most pursuing master’s degrees.