Olathe Shooting at Sports Bar: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Police in Olathe, Kansas responded to reports of a triple shooting at a sports bar in the Kansas City suburb February 22.

The incident occurred at Austins Bar & Grill and brought on a large police presence at the scene and at a nearby home. The three victims were transported to a local hospital for injuries suffered as a result of the incident. One of the three died as a result of the shooting.

The suspect was taken into custody by police hours after the shooting first happened. He is 51-year-old Adam Purinton, and he was booked in Henry County Jail the morning of February 23. Purinton was reportedly charged with first-degree murder and remains in the jail on $100,000 bail.

Another report from NBC Action News 41, said that the Olathe Police Department and Johnson County DA charged Purinton with premeditated murder.

Olathe Police said that the FBI will investigate the situation if it’s proven that the shooting was a result of a hate crime.

First reports to officials said that the suspect was wearing a black-and-white scarf over his head at the time of the shooting.

Dramatic accounts circulated on social media as news reporters said the suspect was on the loose, and one man reported that his mother saw someone gunned down right in front of her.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Purinton Allegedly Shouted Racial Slurs Before Firing

Live videos and eyewitness accounts from the scene reported a massive police response. Police were seen searching the bar and collecting evidence following the incident. Two of the three shooting victims were reportedly of Indian descent and Purinton was heard shouting slurs before firing at patrons in the bar.

The Kansas City Star reported that Purinton shouted “get out of my country” before shooting two men he thought were Middle Eastern. Both men appear to be originally from India and were engineers at a company in Olathe.

2. 1 Victim & 2 Are Seriously Injured as a Result

Three people were taken to a local hospital after Purinton allegedly shot them, according to Fox 4 — Kansas City.

According to Orlathe Police, one of the victims died later at the hospital.

Fox 4’s John Holt later reported the three victims are all males with one being listed in unstable condition and the other two in stable condition. It also reported that Olathe Police Sgt. Logan Bonney told media of the incident and the surrounding investigation:

We’re going to be talking to a lot of people. We’re going to continue to interview witnesses, and anybody that has information. We’re asking them to give us a call or call the TIPS Hotline. We’re going to continue to talk to them and when we get additional information or leads, we will follow up on those until we make an arrest.

The Kansas City Star reported that two of the victims in the shooting are employees at the Aviation Systems Engineering department for Garmin, headquartered in Olath. Their names are Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani. Kuchibhotla is the fatal victim in the shooting and Madasani was injured.

The company released a statement February 23 that said:

We’re saddened that two Garmin associates were involved in last night’s incident, and we express our condolences to the family and friends of our co-workers involved. Garmin will have grievance counselors on-site and available for its associates today and tomorrow.

The man who allegedly “stood up” for the two men and remains injured as a result of the shooting is Ian Grillot. His sister, Maggie, set up a Go Fund Me page for to raise money for his injuries. In the description, she said her brother “thought all rounds were done and tried to go after the man.” But Purinton still had rounds left and shot Grillot.

3. Purinton Was Found Drinking At an Applebee’s

KCTV5 anchor Ellen McNamara reported that a manhunt by police was underway around the scene following reports that he immediately fled. The suspect was reported as being seen running west near 151st Terrace and Scarborough Street. McNamara also reported that area businesses were locked down.

A briefing by the Olathe Police said that the suspect was described as a white man in his 60s. A large police presence was found in a nearby neighborhood, including military-style vehicles and officers in camouflage gear. But the suspect, later identified as Purinton, wasn’t at the home. Rather, he was at an Applebee’s in Clinton, Missouri, about 82 miles southeast of Olathe.

Assistant Clinton Police Chief Sonny Lynch told the Kansas City Star that a bartender at the restaurant called police after a man at the bar spoke about being involved in a shooting, saying he “killed two Middle Eastern men.” Police took him into custody “without incident,” and he wasn’t armed when arrested.

According to a report, multiple people on the scene said that the man was saying racial words inside and was asked to leave. He reportedly came back with a gun.

4. The Bar Was Full of People Watching the Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Game

The Kansas City Star reported that the sports bar was full of patrons watching the University of Kansas basketball game. A witness named Tyler Lape said he left the bar “five minutes before the shooting” and he believed his friend was one of the victims.

Witness accounts flooded social media, with one man writing on Twitter that his mother witnessed one of the victims being shot at a close distance.

Former Kansas football player Daymond Patterson II tweeted his sympathy for the situation. He said in the tweet that his cousin used to work at the bar.

NBC 41 Action News reported that the first shots were fired around 7:15 p.m. February 22 and was initially described as a “disgruntled customer.”

5. Olathe Has an Estimated Population of Over 125,000

People on social media expressed shock that a triple shooting would happen in the Kansas community, with one woman writing that it’s the first time she had ever felt unsafe.

Olathe, located in Johnson County, is estimated as having a 2015 population of 134,316 people. The median age of residents is about 33-years old and it’s 22-miles southwest of Kansas City.

A 2016 ranking list by Zippia.com ranked Olathe as the No. 1 “Happiest City in America.”

Olathe has is the hometown of numerous professional athlete, actors, musicians and politicians. NFL player Darren Sproles attended Orlathe North High School and NBA player Willie Cauley-Stein went to Olathe Northwest High School.

One of the stars of the “Silent Era,” Charles “Buddy” Rogers also called Olathe his hometown, and actor and writer Michael McMillian grew up in Olathe.

This post will be updated once more details become available.

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