- An Indian woman and three relatives were shot dead in Georgia by her husband Vijay Kumar
- The shooting occurred early Friday morning in Lawrenceville, a suburb of Atlanta, with children present
- Three children hid in a closet during the shooting and one called 911 to alert police
A tragedy dawned upon an Indian family living in the US yesterday, with a family dispute turning deadly. An Indian woman and her three Indian-origin relatives were shot dead, allegedly by her husband, Vijay Kumar, in the state of Georgia.
Even children were present when the shooting occurred at their home in Lawrenceville city in Atlanta's suburbs. Three of them ran inside a closet to hide themselves from Kumar, police said, adding that one of them, who was the suspect's child, managed to dial 911.
Gwinnett County Police identified the victims as Kumar's wife, Meenu Dogra, 43, Gourav Kumar, 33, Nidhi Chander, 37, and Harish Chander, 38.
The Friday Shooting
The shooting occurred early Friday morning. Around 2:30 am (local time), the local police responded to a call in the 1000 block of Brook Ivy Court. When they arrived at the spot, they found the bodies of four adults with gunshot wounds in the home.
Three children who were present in the house had hidden themselves in a closet out of fear. It was a timely call to 911 by Kumar and Dogra's child that alerted the cops. Based on information provided by the child, officers reached the spot within minutes.
The children were not injured in the firing. A family member has now picked them up.
Kumar, 51, has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault and four counts of felony murder, reported Fox5 Atlanta. Besides, charges under four counts of malice murder, one count of cruelty to children in the first degree, and two counts of cruelty to children in the 3rd degree have also been invoked against him.
Indian Consulate's Post
India's Consulate General in Atlanta confirmed that the suspect has been arrested and that they are extending all possible assistance to the family. Expressing grief, they shared details about the incident in an online post.
"We are deeply grieved by a tragic shooting incident linked to an alleged family dispute, in which an Indian national was among the victims. The alleged shooter has been arrested, and all possible assistance is being extended to the bereaved family," the post read.
