26-year-old Indian doctoral student from Delhi killed in Ohio, US

Aaditya Adlakha, a young Indian Ph.D. student at the University of Cincinnati Medical School, was fatally shot in his car in Ohio, USA.

A young Indian student pursuing his Ph.D. in molecular and developmental biology at the University of Cincinnati Medical School was fatally shot in his car in Ohio, USA.

Aaditya Adlakha (In the grey suit) was shot inside the car in US(Aaditya Adlakha /LinkedIn)

Aaditya Adlakha, 26, succumbed to his injuries at the UC Medical Center two days after he was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a vehicle that had crashed into a wall on November 9.

The incident has been termed as “sudden, tragic and senseless” by the medical school, which issued a statement expressing its condolences to his family and friends. The Indian doctoral student was described as “much-loved, exceedingly kind and humorous, intelligent and sharp, whose research was described as novel and transformative” by Andrew Filak, the Senior Vice President of Health Affairs and Dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

According to several local media reports, the police were alerted by ShotSpotter, a gunfire locator service, about shots fired in the area around 6:20 am. They also received calls from drivers who saw a vehicle with bullet holes and a person inside who had been shot.

The vehicle was on the upper deck of the Western Hills Viaduct, a bridge that connects the west and east sides of Cincinnati. The police found Aaditya Adlakha inside the vehicle, which had at least three bullet holes visible in the driver’s side window. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remained in critical condition until he passed away on November 11.

Aaditya was a fourth-year doctoral student who was working on understanding the role of neuroimmune communication in pain and inflammation in ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. He earned a bachelor's degree in Zoology from Ramjas College at the University of Delhi and later completed a master's degree in Physiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, both located in New Delhi. Originally from northern India, he relocated to Cincinnati to further his education in the field of medicine.

His death has shocked and saddened the academic community at the University of Cincinnati, which has offered support and counseling to those who knew him or were affected by his loss.

“As a college and as Aaditya’s academic home, we extend our deepest condolences to his family and to those who knew him as a friend and colleague,” the medical school said in its statement.

No suspects have been arrested or identified in connection with the shooting, which remains under investigation.