Kansas shooting 'hero' Ian Grillot invited to India

The US man who was shot while trying to intervene in a deadly gun attack on two Indians at a Kansas bar has been invited to visit India.

Ian Grillot, 24, has been widely praised as a hero by Indians, including foreign minister Sushma Swaraj.

On Thursday he met with Indian diplomats who invited him to visit India when he is able to travel, the University of Kansas Hospital said.

"We will stand with you," Houston-based consul general Anupam Roy said.

Mr Grillot, who was released from hospital on Tuesday, had said earlier in the week that he had always found India "interesting".

"I think I've found myself a good reason to go there now," Indian newspaper the Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.

He was at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe, Kansas on 22 February when suspected gunman Adam Purinton allegedly yelled "get out of my country" and opened fire at two Indian engineers, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani.

Mr Kuchibhotla, 32, died, while Mr Madasani, also 32, was injured.

As Mr Grillot tried to stop the gunman, he was hit by a bullet in the hand and chest.

Since his release from hospital he has already visited Austins, seeking "closure", according to a hospital statement.

• Olathe shooting: Who were the victims?

• India mourns 'kind soul' shot in Kansas

• Survivor and widow tell BBC their stories

• Kansas suspect 'said he killed Iranians'

Adam Purinton has been charged with first degree-murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

The US Navy veteran fled the scene after the shooting, and later reportedly told a bartender that he had "shot two Iranians".

The fallout from the attack has reverberated across India and the large Indian community in the US.

US President Donald Trump condemned the shooting in a speech to Congress on Tuesday. He had earlier faced criticism for his silence on the attack.

Heroes of Olathe - BBC North America Correspondent Rajini Vaidyanathan

Amid the grief, horror and shock of what happened in Olathe are stories of heroism.

As gunfire rang out in Austins Bar and Grill, Ian Grillot had been hiding under a table.

Thinking the assailant's magazine was empty, he got up to chase him. It wasn't, and the final bullet pierced Ian's hand before ripping through his chest.

There were other tales of courage too. Alok Madasani told me how a man named Brad ripped off his shirt and tied it around his leg to stem the bleeding, after a bullet hit his thigh. Brad's actions probably saved his life.

And earlier that evening, when the Indian engineers were at the receiving end of racial abuse, a businessman told them he'd taken care of their bill. He wanted to show that the language used by the suspected attacker was un-American.