Hyderabad/Washington:  A 28-year-old Indian student from Hyderabad working as a part-time clerk at a convenience store in Oklahama has been shot dead by unidentified men.

Prashanth Goinaka, who had taken up a part-time job as cashier at SK Foods only four days ago, was shot dead on Sunday by two unidentified assailants, who walked into the store posing as customers and snatched the cash.

Oklahoma City Police said they are investigating the man's death as a homicide as there was trauma to the body. His family, which received the news late on Monday, is in a state of shock and is not ready to believe that the youth who left for the US barely two months ago to study for an MBA is dead.

According to the information received by Prashanth's family, who reside in Santoshnagar area in Hyderabad, he was killed around 7:15pm on Sunday local time. Prashanth's father Rajaiah Goinaka and mother Bharathi were devastated on hearing of the death of their only son. His only sister Swathi is doing her MBBS in Hyderabad.

"I can't believe this. He left only two months ago for studies and now we heard that he is no more. Oh God. Why this happened to him?" said Rajaiah, an employee in a medical and health department.

Prashanth, a BCom graduate of St Thomas College, Dilsukhnagar, went to the US on January 25 to realise his dream of doing the MBA. He was a student at the International Technological University in California. Last week, he went to Oklahoma after the university permitted him to take up a part-time job.

Family members said he had informed his parents over the phone that he got a job and that he would bring them to the US.

Prashanth initially joined the merchant navy but could not cope with sea sickness. He was also a good dancer and worked as a junior artist in some Telugu movies. The family has requested the state government to make arrangements to bring his body home. "I am requesting Chief Minister K. Rosaiah with folded hands to help the family by making arrangements to bring his body home as early as possible," said Prashanth's cousin Chandrasekhar