Friend raises funds for hospitalisation.

A youth hailing from Madamanuru village near Manabolu in SPSR Nellore district in was shot at by miscreants at Maryland Heights, St.Louis on April 9, according to information received by his family members here.

The student, Dega Dheeraj Reddy who was pursuing MS from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, was admitted in a critical condition to a hospital in St. Louis, his uncle Anil Kumar Reddy, who received a communication from the External Affairs Ministry, said.

Dheeraj had lost early his parents living in Lingampalli village, near Podalakur then and was raised by his maternal grandparents. He had worked with an IT company in Bengaluru for a short spell before resuming studies in January this year.

Meanwhile, his friend Kishore Chittamuru raised funds for his hospitalisation expenses through a crowdfunding platform. “On April 9, 2020, at 11:00 AM, our beloved friend Dheeraj Kumar Reddy Dega suffered a gunshot on his way from the gas station at Maryland Heights, St Louis, MO. His injuries are severe and was admitted in Mercy Hospital, Ballas Rd. The bullet entered from left side of the abdomen and ended up on the right side damaging the intestines and liver, he is currently on ventilator and the condition is critical. He is still to undergo multiple surgeries and the bullet is yet to be removed. On a positive note, his heart rate and blood pressure are better than last night and hoping for recovery,” he said.