Indian national killed in US over family dispute: How a call from 12-year old in closet saved three children

An Indian national was among four people killed in a family dispute-related shooting in Lawrenceville, Georgia, authorities said, in an incident that could have claimed more lives if not for the quick thinking of a 12-year-old child. During the attack on a residence on Brook Ivy Court, three children – aged seven, 10, and 12 – hid in a closet, and the eldest managed to call 911, enabling police to reach the scene within minutes. All three children escaped unharmed and have since been placed in the care of a family member.Gwinnett county police corporal Angela Carter described the incident as “definitely a tragic situation – four people dying at the same time, especially with children in the home, is very, very tragic.”The suspect has been identified as 51-year-old Vijay Kumar, 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 included Kumar’s wife, Meenu Dogra, 43, and three relatives – Gourav Kumar, 33, Nidhi Chander, 37, and Harish Chander, 38, all residents of Lawrenceville. Investigators said the dispute began at Kumar and Dogra’s Atlanta home before they traveled with their 12-year-old child to the Lawrenceville residence. “It is unknown at this time what the argument was about, why they came to the residence, or what led up to the incident,” Carter added.The Consulate General of India in Atlanta expressed grief over the deaths. “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 said in a post on X.