A terrible video depicts Rajan ‘Raj’ Moonesinghe, an Austin software entrepreneur, getting shot dead by local police while inspecting the perimeter of his home with a firearm.
On November 15, Moonesinghe, 33, a successful tech entrepreneur who had moved to the area roughly five years prior, was murdered on his front porch in a posh South Austin neighborhood.
According to neighbors, Moonesinghe informed a neighbor at approximately 12.30 a.m. that someone was in his home and that he was going to phone 911. He walked the perimeter of the property while carrying a firearm.
Raj Moonesinghe, 33, just before being fatally shot by Austin police while conducting a perimeter search of his home, which he feared had been broken into.
A private security guard for his neighbor had already phoned the police across the street from his residence.
In a dispatch call, the guard stated, ‘He almost seems to be afraid of something within his home.’
He stated, “He is pointing the rifle at the interior of his home.”
He then informed officers that Moonesinghe fired into his own residence.
In camera footage of the terrible event, Moonesinghe can be seen and heard shouting into his living room at a person he assumes to be an intruder.
Moments after Moonesinghe fired two shots into his own living room, the police got on scene about five minutes later.
Officer Daniel Sanchez said “drop the gun” almost as soon as they arrived, but he began firing before he finished the phrase. Due to the fact that bullets travel faster than sound, Moonesinghe probably did not hear anything before to being struck.
As he lay dying on the ground, Moonesinghe told the officers, “It wasn’t me”
The 33-year-old man of Sri Lankan heritage was sent to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter. No one else was injured during the confrontation, and authorities did not discover an intruder at the South Austin residence.
The preliminary autopsy done by the victim’s relatives revealed that Moonesinghe was struck four times. The county medical examiner has yet to provide a complete medical report.
The 33-year-old IT entrepreneur was well-known in his neighborhood for being a selfless friend and family member, as well as a diligent businessman.
InKind, the thriving financial technology company founded by the Moonsinghe brothers and aiming for rapid expansion by 2023, had its headquarters in Austin.
The Austin Police Department has not yet issued a statement regarding the shooting. Since roughly three years ago, Sanchez has been a licensed officer with the department.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and Officer Sanchez is currently on administrative leave. His attorneys stated that he “followed his instruction to save lives.”
Mayor of Austin Steve Adler described the fatality as a tragedy, adding that he is awaiting additional information before forming an opinion.
“I have many questions, as I’m sure the family does as well,” he said. “Why did that occur?”
Together with his older brother, Raj managed the financial technology startup InKind, which provides restaurants with advance financing.
The company’s yearly revenue is $48 million, and it intended to raise its Austin staff from 50 to 180 by the end of 2023.
As a result of his brother’s fatal shooting, Johann Moonesinghe is uncertain about the company’s future and unwilling to encourage anyone to migrate to Austin since he is afraid of its safety.
In remembrance of his brother, the elder Moonesinghe established the Rajan David Moonesinghe Foundation days ago.
The organization’s mission is to prevent future shootings like the one committed against his brother.
Ideas such as investing in nonlethal police tactics, unconscious bias training, placing billboards across the country advising tech startups not to migrate to Austin, and collaborating with the city’s leaders have been proposed as potential means of achieving this objective.
Johann has made it plain that he would prefer to cooperate with local leaders and that billboards are a last choice.
Doug Ludlow, the CEO of the small-business-assistance organization MainStreet, who has known Raj since he was a child, has pledged $1 million to the campaign. This amount does not include the $27,000 already raised.
Ludlow told the Wall Street Journal that other U.S. cities are poised to become the next startup powerhouse if Austin is unable to resolve its police force difficulties.
The competition to establish new startup clusters is intense. If the community is not safe, especially for persons of color, you will not establish a tech hub there. He stated, “Finish!”
Johann, the brother of Moonsinghe, has vowed to utilize “all of my resources” to prevent a recurrence, adding that he would prefer to cooperate with local officials, but will outspend them if necessary.
Officer Daniel Sanchez has been placed on administrative leave, and the Austin Police Department has yet to comment on the shooting.
Johann Moonesing
He told the publication that he will “use all of my resources to prevent this from happening again,” adding that his preference is to collaborate with the city, “but if they refuse to work with us, I will outspend them.”
Several organizations and businesses have already offered substantial money to the foundation, according to a local article.
Johann stated, “I’m sure there are many victims in our position who have gone through this, but without the resources we have.”
We will do everything necessary to get our voice heard. When Raj was laid to rest, I made him a vow. I told Raj that I would be an unstoppable force of justice on his behalf. I will ensure that this never happens to another family.
»Austin IT entrepreneur Raj Moonesinghe, who was fatally shot by police, remarked, “It wasn’t me”«