Aaditya Adlakha was a fourth-year doctoral student in the molecular and developmental biology programme at the University of Cincinnati Medical School, according to a statement from the medical school.

New Delhi: A 26-year-old Indian doctoral student, Aaditya Adlakha, died after he was shot at inside a car in the US’ Ohio State. Adlakha was a fourth-year doctoral student in a molecular and developmental biology programme at the University of Cincinnati Medical School, who described his death “sudden, tragic and senseless”.

Aaditya Adlakha succumbed to gunshot wounds earlier this month at the UC Medical Center, as confirmed by the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office. He was shot in a car on November 9 and died two days later in hospital.

The tragic event unfolded on November 9 when Cincinnati Police responded to a vehicle crash on the upper deck of the Western Hills Viaduct. Officers discovered Adlakha shot inside the vehicle, which had crashed into a wall. The ShotSpotter gunfire locator service reported gunshots in the area around 6:20 am.

Despite being transported to UC Medical Center in critical condition, Adlakha’s condition worsened, and he was pronounced dead two days later. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.

“Today, you might have seen news reports of his sudden, tragic and senseless death. Those who knew him, along with fellow students and others who may not have had the fortune to have met Aaditya, may experience a wide variety of reactions, which are understandable and expected,” Senior Vice President of Health Affairs and Dean, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Andrew Filak said.

“He was much-loved, exceedingly kind and humorous, intelligent and sharp, whose research was described as novel and transformative. The focus of his work was to better understand neuroimmune communication and how neuroimmune interactions might contribute to pain and the inflammatory landscape in ulcerative colitis.” Filak was quoted as saying by WLWT.com, a television station in Cincinnati.

Adlakha, hailing from north India, pursued his medical education journey in Cincinnati. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Zoology from Ramjas College of the University of Delhi in 2018 and later obtained his master’s degree in physiology in 2020 from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

His vehicle, riddled with multiple bullet holes, indicated the severity of the attack. The shooting, marked by its suddenness and tragedy, has left the university community in shock. Colleagues, friends, and faculty expressed grief over the untimely loss, emphasizing Adlakha’s kindness, intelligence, and contributions to groundbreaking research.

The zoology department of Ramjas College held a memorial meeting for Adlakha on Monday after hearing about the mysterious snuffing out of a brilliant young life.

The deceased PhD student’s former batchmates shed tears during the prayer meeting, mourning the loss of a good person and a promising scholar. Several of them recalled how he always used to say: “Zindagi yadoon ki gullak hai.”

A senior faculty member of AIIMS’s physiology department said Adlakha had left for the US in 2019 after his MSc in physiology. One of his batchmates at the medical institution told TOI, “We were five students in the master’s course and Aaditya secured the second all-India rank. He was hardworking and was very clear about his life and career. Six months before finishing the MSc course, he began preparing for TOEFL, got reference letters from professors and achieved the desired grade.”