A native of Nepal, who was working a 12-hour night shift at a service station in Northwest Baltimore and was to have attended his first day of classes at Baltimore City Community College yesterday, was shot to death hours earlier during what might have been a robbery, police said.

The man's death brought the number of homicides in the city this year to 205 as of yesterday, compared with 178 at the same time last year.


Police said Himank Karki, 18, of the 900 block of N. Calvert St. was found lying next to a gas pump at the Texaco station in the 2600 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway near Koko Lane about 2 a.m. by Western District police responding to a report of a shooting, said Agent Donny Moses, a police spokesman.

Police said Karki was working the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. It was not known how long he had worked at the gas station, which is directly across Gwynns Falls Parkway from two schools.

Karki, who was in the United States on a student visa, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was taken to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy, police said.

Police said the owner of the gas station told investigators that Karki was instructed not to leave the station office under any circumstances.

Police said it was not known whether Karki left the office on his own or whether he was lured outside. They also declined to say if there were any obvious signs of a robbery.

Police said Karki's roommate contacted the victim's family in Nepal and told them of Karki's death.

Metro Crime Stoppers at 410-276-8888 is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the slaying.



[Richard Irwin and Gus Sentementes