A student from India who came to the United States for higher education and a better life had his dream cut short after he was shot and killed while working at a Fort Worth gas station.

Chandrashekar Pole, 28, was killed Friday night while working at a gas station on Eastchase Parkway in Fort Worth, police said.

A 23-year-old suspect in the shooting, Richard Florez of North Richland Hills, has been arrested and faces a murder charge, according to jail records.

Dreams of higher education

After completing his bachelor’s in dental surgery in Hyderabad, India, Pole came to the United States in 2023 “to pursue his dream of higher education and a better life,” Satish Reddy, president-elect of the American Telugu Association, said in conversation with the Star-Telegram.

A recent University of North Texas graduate, Pole was looking for a job, Reddy said.

Reddy said people in the Telugu community were informed about “this horrific, senseless violence act,” on Saturday morning. “We spoke with local authorities, the Consulate General of India, as well as a funeral home to expedite the process of sending Chandrashekar’s remains to India.”

Pole’s elder brother and mother live in Hyderabad, where they want to do their traditional final rituals, Reddy said.

“I don’t know him personally, but talking to his friends, they said (Pole) was a very friendly, jovial, smart and kind person,” Reddy said.

Reddy said community members are coordinating donations and support to ease the financial and emotional burden of the family.

“A loss for one family is a loss for our entire community,” Reddy said.

The association plans to do orientations, especially for students and youth, to help them avoid risks, particularly when working late nights in stores or isolated areas, and to remind them to be alert and careful, Reddy said.

Reddy said there is a process to send someone’s remains to India. It involves “coordinating with the Consulate General, hospitals, to get the death certificate, county clearance, and also get clearance from the Indian consulate, as well as working with the funeral home and talking to airlines.”

A viewing was held at the Hughes Family Tribute Center in Dallas on Wednesday morning. Close friends gathered to say their final goodbyes. Pole’s remains are scheduled to arrive in India on Friday morning, Reddy said.

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Friends started a GoFundMe to help return Pole’s body to India. “He had recently graduated and was full of dreams, hope, and determination to make his family proud,” a friend wrote on the fundraising site.