Kansas man who shot and killed UTEP graduate sentenced to life in prison

A Kansas man who shot and killed UTEP graduate Srinivas Kuchibhotla at a bar was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.

The Kansas City Star reports Adam Purinton was sentenced in Johnson County District Court, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder for killing Kuchibhotla in February of 2017.

Purinton, 52, also pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder for shooting Alok Madasani, a co-worker of Kuchibhotla, and Ian Grillot, who had come to the aid of the two other men.

Kuchibhotla earned his master’s in engineering from UTEP in 2007.

Witnesses sais Purinton yelled “get out of my country” before he opened fire at the bar in Olathe, Kansas.

Kuchibhotla’s widow Sunayna Dumala issued a video statement after Purinton was sentenced.

“There will never be a better time than now to stand up to hate and spread love,” Dumala said.