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

Suspect Vijay Kumar with wife Meenu Dogra (Picture credit: Facebook/Meenu Dogra)

An Indian national was among four people killed in a shooting linked to an alleged family dispute in the US state of Georgia, authorities and the Indian consulate in Atlanta said.The incident took place in Lawrenceville city, where police responded to reports of “shots fired” at a residence. Four people were found inside the home with gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.According to local reports, three children — aged seven, 10 and 12 — were inside the house when the shooting took place. The children hid in a closet to protect themselves, and the 12-year-old managed to call 911, enabling officers to reach the location within minutes. The children were not injured and have since been placed in the care of a family member.

Who is the suspect?

Police identified the suspect as Vijay Kumar, 51, a resident 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 a residence on Brook Ivy Court, 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 Corporal 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,” she added.

Indian consulate expresses grief

The Consulate General of India in Atlanta expressed grief over incident and said that the shooter has been arrested.