Atlanta, Jan 24 (UNI) An Indian woman among four was killed in a shooting incident in the US state of Georgia that officials say is linked to an alleged family dispute.
The shooting occurred early on Friday morning in Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, local media reported. Three children were inside the home at the time of the incident but were not reported among the fatalities.
Gwinnett County Police are investigating the incident as a domestic-related shooting that left four adults dead at a residence in Lawrenceville, while three children survived by hiding and alerting authorities, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
Police responded to a “shots fired” call around 2:30 am at a home in the 1000 block of Brook Ivy Court. On arrival, officers found four adults inside the residence with fatal gunshot wounds, local medi aeported.
The victims were identified as Kumar’s wife, Meemu Dogra, 43, of Atlanta, and Gourav Cumar, 33, Nidhi Chander, 37, and Harish Chander, 38, all of Lawrenceville.
The Indian mission in Atlanta confirmed the deaths and said authorities had arrested a suspect and that all possible assistance was being offered to the bereaved families.
The suspect was identified as Vijay Kumar, 51, of Atlanta. He 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 third degree, as per Fox 5 Atlanta.
According to investigators, an argument allegedly began between Kumar and Dogra at their Atlanta home, after which they travelled with their 12-year-old child to the Brook Ivy Court residence, where the other three victims, relatives of the couple, lived along with two other children aged seven and ten.
Authorities confirmed that three children were present inside the home at the time of the shooting. The children hid in a closet to protect themselves, and one of them managed to call 911, enabling police to reach the scene quickly. The children were unharmed and were later taken into the care of a family member.
Police said officers arrived while the suspect’s vehicle was still parked in the driveway. K-9 units were deployed and tracked the suspect to a nearby woodline, where he was apprehended without incident.
Reacting to the incident, the Consulate General of India in Atlanta expressed grief over the loss of lives.
“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 Consulate General said in a post on X.
Police said the motive behind the argument and the exact sequence of events leading up to the shooting remain under investigation.
UNI VAN AAB