An Indian origin entrepreneur was fatally stabbed by another Indian man in a public bus in the Austin area of Texas, United States, police said. The victim, 30-year-old Akshay Gupta, was seated at the back of the bus when Deepak Kandel, 31, attacked him "without provocation", the Austin Police Department said.
Police officers and emergency medical services responded to a "Shoot/Stab" call of someone being stabbed on a bus on the evening of May 14. When officers arrived on the scene, they located Gupta with trauma to his body.
"Kandel stabbed Gupta in the neck without provocation," according to police. Emergency responders administered life-saving measures on Gupta, but he was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m., according to a report by the KXAN network.
Police were able to identify Kandel by reviewing CCTV footage from the bus. It was found that once the bus was stopped, Kandel calmly exited the vehicle with the other passengers and left the scene on foot. APD patrol officers were able to locate and detain him a short time later
"Kandel was found less than a mile from where the bus pulled over," according to an arrest affidavit. He reportedly told police that he stabbed Gupta because he looked like his uncle.
Kandel has been booked in Travis County Jail and charged with 1st Degree Murder. According to the KXAN report, Kandel has been arrested and released multiple times on misdemeanour charges.
There were reportedly 12 passengers on the bus during the stabbing.
Gupta was an entrepreneur in the health-tech startup space. He co-founded FootBit in Austin, a company dedicated to helping senior citizens improve mobility and balance. He also co-founded a company called ASG Research LLC in 2024.
Per his LinkedIn profile, he held a master's degree from Penn State University and had met Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for his groundbreaking innovation.
