Police in Georgia received an emergency call about a shooting around 2:30 a.m. on January 23, 2026. By the time they got to the home in the 1000 block of Brook Ivy Court in Lawrenceville, four adults had died from apparent gunshot wounds. But that wasn’t even the most disturbing part of the crime scene. Investigators later found out the 911 call came from a 12-year-old girl inside the home. She and two other children hid in a closet as 51-year-old Vijay Kumar allegedly started his shooting spree. Now Kumar faces murder charges, and three innocent children have trauma they may never get beyond.
Fox 5 identified the victims as Kumar’s wife, Meenu Dogra, 43, and their relatives Gourav Cumar, 33, Nidhi Chander, 37, and Harish Chander, 38. The night of the shooting, Kumar and Dogra reportedly had an argument. They traveled from their home in Atlanta with their 12-year-old to the home in Lawrenceville. Cumar, the Chanders, and two children, aged 7 and 10, lived at the home.
When police arrived, they reportedly found the three children hiding in a closet to protect themselves.
“It’s definitely a tragic situation. Four people dying at the same time, especially with children in the home … it’s shocking to anybody,” Angela Carter with the Gwinnett County Police told WSB-TV.
With the help of the K-9 unit, police found Kumar and promptly arrested him. He faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, and two counts of cruelty to children.
It’s unclear what caused the deadly argument or why Kumar took his family to the home that night. Dogra kept active on social media and often posted photos of herself with Kumar.
“Unbelievable! We are together here few days before. Waheguru bless [their] souls,” someone shared on her final Facebook post earlier this month.
“It’s a big shock and loss to the whole community,” another person wrote.
The family appeared to have a happy life. But as we all know, looks can be deceiving, and social media often tells just as many lies as it does the truth.
