An Indian national has been shot dead by a masked assailant in Los Angeles with the police saying the suspect entered the grocery store with a semi-automatic handgun with the intent to commit a robbery.

Maninder Singh Sahi, who turned 31 last month, was married and father of two. He was working at a 7-Eleven grocery store in the Whittier City in Los Angeles

Hailing from Karnal in Haryana, Sahi had arrived in the US less than six months ago and had sought political asylum. The only earning member of his family, Sahi used to send money to his wife and two children back home, his relatives in the US said. According to the Whittier Police Department, the incident occurred at 5.43am on Saturday.

It appears the suspect entered the store with a semi-automatic handgun with the intent to commit a robbery. “For unknown reasons the suspect fired the handgun killing the clerk,” the police said releasing a picture of the suspect.