A Houston college student was shot and killed in her apartment during what appeared to be an armed robbery incident last weekend.
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According to The New York Post, the victim was identified as Muna Pandey, a community college student from Nepal.
The Houston Police Department released a statement confirming that the college student was shot multiple times inside her southwest Houston apartment.
A staff member of the apartment complex revealed to officials that before calling 911 they had received an anonymous call about a body inside of one of the units. Paramedics discovered Pandey had multiple gunshot wounds around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 25. The 21-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two days after the college student was shot and killed, the Houston Police released a surveillance photo of a man leaving her apartment on Saturday, Aug. 23. Officials confirmed that was when the armed robbery took place.
Following an investigation, police were able to identify the man to be 52-year-old Bobby Sinh Shah. He was arrested Wednesday, Aug. 28, during a traffic stop in northwest Houston. He was booked in the Harris County Jail with a capital murder charge.
Nepalese Association of Houston board member Drona Gautam told Pandey’s family back in Nepal about Shah’s arrest. “Her mom was like, “Thank God, at least he’s arrested,’ and [is] asking for the maximum penalty for him,” Gautam shared with media outlet KHOC.
Gautam also said that it’s unclear if Pandey knew Shah. However, there were no signs of forced entry at the apartment.
Shah was originally scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, Aug. 29 However, he waived his appearance. He is being held at the county jail without bond.
KHOU reported that Pandey was an only child. She had come to Houston in 2021 to attend college.
Friends Mourn Houston College Student Shot During Armed Robbery
Meanwhile, KHOC reports that friends of the college student have created a makeshift memorial outside the door of her Houston apartment. Among the items included flowers, photos, and candles.
Speaking to the media outlet about Pandey, one of her friends Tonantzin Rodriguez said, “She came to this country for a better opportunity and she was thriving and she had a whole future ahead of her.”
Rodriguez further spoke about the man accused of murdering her Pandey. “We don’t know what caused him to do this action,” she said. “But we want justice for her memory and for all the women who died violently.”
A GoFundMe has been started to honor Pandey’s legacy.