An Indian national was among four killed in a shooting that arose out of a domestic dispute in the US state of Georgia, early Friday, according to the Indian mission in Atlanta, and local police and media sources.
Three children were also present in the house when the shooting occurred. The children hid in a closet to protect themselves and managed to call 911 to report the crime.
The shooting occurred around 2.30 am (local time) at a residence in the 1000 block of Brook Ivy Court in Lawrenceville city.
Officers responding to a “shots fired” call found four adults inside the home with fatal gunshot wounds.
All were pronounced dead at the scene, Gwinnett County police said.
Gwinnett County police identified the victims as Kumar’s wife Meenu Dogra, 43, and her relatives Gourav Kumar, 33, Nidhi Chander, 37, and Harish Chander, 38. Police and local media said all four victims were of Indian origin.
Local media outlets Fox 5 Atlanta and the Gwinnett Daily Post reported that the suspect has been identified 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 cruelty to children in the first degree and two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree.
The Consulate General of India in Atlanta confirmed that one of the victims was an Indian national and said the alleged shooter had been arrested. “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 mission said in a post on X.
Investigators said the incident was domestic in nature and stemmed from an argument that began at Kumar and Dogra’s home in Atlanta. The couple later travelled to the Brook Ivy Court residence along with their 12-year-old child. The Lawrenceville home was occupied by Dogra’s relatives Gourav Kumar, Nidhi Chander and Harish Chander, along with two other children aged seven and 10, police said.
According to Gwinnett County police and Fox 5 Atlanta, all three children were inside the house when the shooting began. They hid together in a closet to protect themselves, and the 12-year-old managed to call 911, providing critical information that enabled officers to reach the scene within minutes.
Because of the rapid response, officers arrived while the suspect’s vehicle was still parked in the driveway. K-9 units were deployed and tracked Kumar to a nearby woodline, where he was taken into custody without incident, police said.
The children were unharmed and were later picked up by a family member.
Police said it remains unclear what triggered the argument, why the family travelled to the Lawrenceville residence, or what led up to the shooting. “It is unknown at this time what the argument was about or what escalated the situation,” Gwinnett County police spokesperson Cpl. Angela Carter said, as quoted by local media.