Indian national, 3 relatives shot dead in family dispute in US; children hid in closet

A domestic shooting in the US state of Georgia on early Friday morning left four adults dead, including an Indian national, after an alleged family dispute escalated into violence at a residence in Lawrenceville, authorities said.

Three children who were inside the home at the time survived after hiding in a closet, one of whom managed to call emergency services.According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, Gwinnett County police responded to a “shots fired” call around 2.30 am (local time) at a house in the 1000 block of Brook Ivy Court. Officers found four adults inside the home suffering from gunshot wounds. All four were pronounced dead at the scene.

Children hide, one alerts police

Investigators said three young children — aged seven, 10 and 12 — were inside the house when the shooting began. To protect themselves, the children hid together in a closet. Police said the 12-year-old managed to call 911, providing crucial details that helped officers reach the location within minutes.The children were not injured and were later taken into the care of a family member.Because officers arrived quickly and found the suspect’s vehicle still in the driveway, K-9 units were deployed to search the area.

A police dog tracked the suspect to a nearby wooded area, where he was arrested without incident.

Suspect and victims identified

Police identified the suspect as Vijay Kumar, 51, of Atlanta. He has been charged with four counts each of aggravated assault, felony murder and malice murder, along with one count of first-degree cruelty to children and two counts of third-degree cruelty to children.

The victims were identified as Kumar’s wife, Meenu Dogra, 43, of Atlanta, and three relatives — Gourav Kumar, 33, Nidhi Chander, 37, and Harish Chander, 38 — all residents of Lawrenceville.Investigators said an argument began between Kumar and Dogra at their home in Atlanta, after which they travelled with their 12-year-old child to the Brook Ivy Court residence, where the other three victims lived with two children. “It is unknown at this time what the argument was about, why they came to the residence, or what led up to the incident,” Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Angela Carter said.“It’s definitely a tragic situation. Four people dying at the same time, especially with children in the home, is very, very tragic”, Carter added.

Indian mission expresses grief

The Consulate General of India in Atlanta confirmed that an Indian national was among those killed and said the shooting was linked to an alleged family dispute. Expressing condolences, the mission said the alleged shooter had been arrested and that all possible assistance was being extended to the bereaved family.