Four members of a Sikh family, including a relative visiting from Punjab, were found shot dead at their home in West Chester, Ohio state Sunday night, newspapers reported on Thursday. West Chester police chief Joel Herzog told reporters that the victims were found by another relative who called the police. “My wife and my family are bleeding… they’re on the ground and they’re bleeding,” the family member said on the 911 call that was released by the police.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said one of the deceased was an Indian national on a visit to the US while others were persons of Indian origin. “The matter is under investigation by the police but it is not a hate crime. Our consul-general in New York is coordinating with the authorities concerned and will keep me informed,” Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
West Chester police did not identify the victims. A local news publication, The Enquirer, said those deceased were Hakikat Singh Panag; his wife, Paramjit Kaur; their daughter Shalinder Kaur; and his sister-in-law Amarjit Kaur. The police have not identified a suspect. An official of the local Guru Nanak Society of Greater Cincinnati, which held a prayer service Monday, said the victims had been shot in the head.f a Sikh family, including a relative visiting from Punjab, were found shot dead at their home in West Chester, Ohio state Sunday night, newspapers reported on Thursday. West Chester police chief Joel Herzog told reporters that the victims were found by another relative who called the police. “My wife and my family are bleeding.. they’re on the ground and they’re bleeding,” the family member said on the 911 call that was released by the police.