A 51-year-old Atlanta man faces multiple murder charges after allegedly shooting his wife and three of her relatives to death at a Lawrenceville home early Thursday morning, with police saying his 12-year-old child called 911 while hiding inside a closet.
Gwinnett County police said via X that Vijay Kumar was taken into custody without incident near the scene shortly after the shootings on the 1000 block of Brook Ivy Court. Police identified the victims as Kumar’s wife, Meemu Dogra, 43, of Atlanta; Gourav Cumar, 33; Nidhi Chander, 37; and Harish Chander, 38, all of Lawrenceville.
Officers responded to the home around 2:30 a.m., after receiving reports of gunshots inside the home. When they arrived, they found the four adults dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
Three children were found unharmed, hiding in a closet inside the home.
The shooting spree followed a dispute between Kumar and Dogra at their Atlanta home before the couple traveled to the Brook Ivy Court address with their 12-year-old child, according to investigators. Cumar, Nidhi Chander, and Harish Chander—all relatives of the couple—lived at the Lawrenceville home along with two other children, ages 7 and 10, police said.
The 12-year-old child placed the call to the police after the shooting.
Investigators have not determined what sparked the initial argument, why the couple went to the Lawrenceville home, or what caused the violence.
Kumar has been charged with four counts of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, four counts of aggravated assault, one count of cruelty to children in the first degree, and two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree.
Friends remembered Dogra on social media following news of her death. Hetal Mehta wrote on Facebook Saturday that Dogra was “a blessing, a light, a part of my journey.”
“Though you are no longer here in form, your love lives on—in my heart, in my prayers, in my soul,” Mehta posted. “May God hold you close, may your soul rest in eternal peace. Until we meet again, dear Meenu. You are loved beyond words and will be missed forever.”
A woman named Jhansi commented on Mehta’s post, writing that “whenever I met her she left a positive warm feeling,” according to the Facebook thread. “God support your kids and family. This news is devastating.”
Puja Bhakuni, who is friends on Facebook with Mehta, commented below her post, “This is truly heartbreaking and beyond words. One generation gone, and the next generation is left without parents—it’s something no one should ever have to endure.”
Jail records from the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s office indicate a bond has been set for $224,000. A defense attorney or next court appearance was not listed.
The case remains under investigation as detectives work to piece together the sequence of events that led to the quadruple homicide.
