Gupta's Family Devastated After Austin Bus Killing

For Akshay Gupta’s family, the call from Austin felt like the ground dropping out from under them. Speaking from India, they say "everything is over for us" after the 30-year-old was fatally stabbed while riding a CapMetro bus near South Lamar and Barton Springs. They describe themselves as "in a very bad state" and say they want clear answers about how the attack happened and what can be done so no other family has to live through the same nightmare.

In an interview with KXAN, relatives remembered Gupta as an inventive health-tech founder working under a special visa and focused on building tools to help seniors with walking and balance. His brother, Ankur, called him "one in 1,000," and the family says they have now filed a lawsuit while urging transit and mental-health officials to explain how the suspect was allowed on board in the first place.

How the attack unfolded

According to the Austin Police Department, officers and Austin-Travis County EMS were called around 6:45 p.m. on May 14, 2025, after reports of a stabbing on a CapMetro bus in the 500 block of South Lamar Boulevard. First responders found Gupta with severe trauma. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and police say 31-year-old Deepak Kandel was detained nearby shortly after the attack.

Courts, competency, and treatment

Court records reviewed by KXAN show that Kandel has a criminal history going back to 2016 and has been through multiple mental-health evaluations. According to those records, a judge found him incompetent to stand trial and ordered him committed to a state mental hospital. On May 13, 2026, the court extended that commitment for another six months while evaluations continue.

Family pushes for changes and files suit

Gupta’s relatives say raw grief has now mixed with a determination to push for changes. They are calling for stronger checks on who boards buses and for better community mental-health options, arguing that the system failed both their loved one and the public. The family has filed a civil lawsuit that alleges negligence by the bus operator and the driver, according to FOX 7 Austin.

Legal implications

Under Texas law, defendants who cannot understand court proceedings or assist in their own defense may be committed for competency restoration instead of immediately going to trial. Judges rely on periodic evaluations to decide what happens next. State reporting and guidance from Texas Health and Human Services show that chronic shortages of forensic beds and long waitlists can stretch out those timelines, complicating both prosecution and treatment in similar cases across Texas.

CapMetro response and community concern

The killing has reignited a heated debate over safety on Austin’s buses and how transit policing should work. CapMetro has pointed to planned operational changes detailed on its CapMetro website, while some drivers and riders told reporters they remain deeply worried about violence on board, according to FOX 7 Austin.

From thousands of miles away, the Gupta family says time and legal technicalities offer little comfort as they mourn. Court documents indicate that evaluations will continue periodically until Kandel is either restored to competency or the legal process moves forward in another way, leaving both the case and the family’s search for answers unresolved for now.