Social media outlets nation wide share story of missing UNL student
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Pawan Gaire, a 29-year-old graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been missing for two weeks now.
Authorities discovered his car in Florida on Tuesday, but there is still no sign of him.
Gaire’s family is from Nepal, and when they realized he was missing, they contacted everyone they could in the United States to help.
Media outlets across the nation began sharing the story, including Chronicles of Nepal, a Maryland-based publication that posts pictures and stories about Nepalese culture, community and news.
Chief content officer Prabin Bhattarai says it was important to share Gaire’s story because every bit of exposure may help solve the case.
“One small clue can have saved somebody’s life, or someone may be in trouble, and he’s really, really looking for help,” said Bhattarai.
Upon learning of Gaire’s disappearance, he quickly verified what details he could share; one way he did this was by contacting a friend of the Gaire family in Nepal.
After that, it took him about 30 minutes to create a short video summarizing those details, which he posted on social media and was shared several times.
Bhattarai also learned that Gaire’s family filed a report with the American embassy in Nepal.
Lincoln Police Department and Nebraska State Patrol have also launched an investigation since the day Gaire was reported missing on Mar. 16.
Gaire was completing a PhD in electrical engineering at UNL and was last seen on Mar. 11 while traveling to Florida.
Bhattarai included these details in his social media posts and says that, in times like these, even the smallest details for the public may help in an investigation.
“Mainstream media is sometimes focused on the big picture, not on the small picture,” he said. “So, it could be a clue, or it could be a trigger for the governing bodies or, you know, for the police or, investigation people to find out some information.”
LPD is asking that anyone with details surrounding Gaire’s disappearance contact Crimestoppers at 402-475-3600 or visit their website.
