A raging husband allegedly murdered his wife and three family members inside a Georgia home as horrified children hid in a closet.
Vijay Kumar, 51, stands accused of opening fire on Meenu Dogra, 43; Gourav Cumar, 33; Nidhi Chander, 37 and Harish Chander, 38, on January 23 around 2:30 am.
After Kumar allegedly unleashed terror inside the Chanders’ Lawrenceville home, police discovered the children, aged seven, 10 and 12, unharmed in a closet.
Kumar and his wife Dogra’s 12-year-old child dialed 911.
Police immediately found the four dead bodies. Kumar was then found trying to dodge detection ‘a short distance’ from the residence and was arrested.
‘It’s definitely a tragic situation. Four people dying at the same time, especially with children in the home,’ Gwinnett Police Captain Angela Carter told WSB-TV. ‘It’s shocking to anybody.’
Investigators said that the violence allegedly stemmed from a heated argument between Kumar and Dogra before they left their Atlanta home to visit their relatives.
It is unclear what the dispute was about or what led up to the gut-wrenching crime.
Vijay Kumar, 51, allegedly fatally shot four of his family members, including his wife
Kumar is pictured with his wife Meenu Dogra, 43, who he allegedly killed following an argument
Police are pictured at the scene of the grim incident cautioning off the residence
Kumar has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree and two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree.
Police said that there are no other suspects and that the incident appears to be domestic-related, although it is still being investigated.
The grim events have left the community shaken.
The Indian Mission in Atlanta wrote in an X statement: ‘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.’
According to Facebook, Dogra appears to be from Pathankot, India.
Kumar and Dogra have two daughters together, according to a GoFundMe launched for the victims’ funeral arrangements that has raised $600.
Dogra was a mother of two and originally from Pathankot, India, according to social media and a GoFundMe
According to the Gun Violence Memorial, Nidhi Chander was a teacher at an elementary school in Gwinnett County.
The Daily Mail has contacted the organizer of the GoFundMe page for comment.
According to Everytown Research and Policy, more than two-thirds of intimate partner homicides in the US are committed with a firearm.
In 2023, more than 47,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries, the Pew Research Center reported.
About eight in 10 murders and more than half of all suicides that year involved a gun.
