Indian man shoots wife, 3 relatives dead in US; kids hide in closet, 12-yr-old son calls cops

A family dispute turned deadly in the US state of Georgia as an Indian-origin man shot dead his wife and their three relatives, even as three children hid in a closet, and one of them alerted the cops, police said on Friday (January 23).

The suspect has been identified as Vijay Kumar (51, Atlanta). The victims are Kumar’s wife, Meemu Dogra (43, Atlanta), and the couple’s relatives Gourav Cumar (33, Lawrenceville), Nidhi Chander (37, Lawrenceville), and Harish Chander (38, Lawrenceville), Gwinnett County Police said.

Three children hide in closet

“On Friday (January 23), at approximately 2:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Brook Ivy Court in Lawrenceville after receiving reports of shots fired inside a residence. Upon arrival, officers located four deceased adults inside the home, all suffering from apparent gunshot wounds,” police said.

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Three children were also located inside the residence, hiding in a closet unharmed, they added.

The suspect was located a short distance from the residence and taken into custody. At this time, there are no outstanding suspects. The motive remains under investigation but appears to be domestic-related, police said.

Argument between the couple

According to the police, an argument began between Dogra and Kumar at their home in Atlanta, and they travelled to the residence on Brook Ivy Court with their 12-year-old child.

Gourav Cumar, Nidhi Chander, and Harish Chander, who are relatives of Dogra and Kumar, resided at the Brook Ivy Court home, along with two juveniles who are seven and 10 years old. After the incident occurred, Kumar’s 12-year-old child was the one who called 911.

Police said, “It is unknown at this time what the argument was about, why they came to the residence, or what led up to the incident.”

Kumar has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault, four counts of Felony Murder, 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.

In a post on its X (formerly Twitter), the Indian Mission in Atlanta expressed deep grief over the shooting incident. “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.”