A man has been arrested in Georgia after allegedly killing his wife and three family members, while their terrified children hid in a closet before calling 911.
Vijay Kumar, 51, of Atlanta, has been charged with four counts of murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children following the incident on January 23.
Officers were dispatched to Brook Ivy Court in Lawrenceville in the early hours of the morning after receiving reports of shots fired inside a residence.
Upon arrival, officers found the bodies of four adults inside the home, all having suffered from apparent gunshot wounds.
The victims were later identified as Kumar’s wife, Meemu Dogra, 43, as well as Gourav Cumar, 33, Nidhi Chander, 37, and Harish Chander,38.
Three children were also located inside the residence, hiding in a closet unharmed, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department, and Kumar was located a short distance away. He was taken into custody without incident.
Investigators believe that an argument between Dogra and Kumar began at their home in Atlanta, after which they traveled to the residence on Brook Ivy Court with their 12-year-old child.
Cumar and the Chanders were there along with two other children who were seven and ten. The 12-year-old was the one who called 911, police said.
The nature of the argument is still unknown, as is the reason the family went to the residence or what led to the fatal incident.
Kumar 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 1st degree, and two counts of cruelty to children in the 3rd degree.
In a statement posted on X, The Indian Mission in Atlanta said: “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.”
