How 23-year-old Indian man killed his grandparents, uncle in the US

An Indian student in the United States has been arrested for allegedly killing his grandparents and uncle inside a New Jersey condominium. Om Brahmbhatt, 23, is accused of shooting Dilipkumar Brahmbhatt and Bindu Brahmbhatt, both 72, and his uncle, Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, 28, in Middlesex County, the South Plainfield Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. He is reportedly facing three counts of first-degree murder for the fatal shooting. The murder According to US media reports, the shooting took place at a residence on Coppola Drive off New Durham Road in South Plainfield at around 9 am (local time). ABC7 New York reported Om confessed to shooting his grandparents while they slept in their bedroom, and then went to a back bedroom, where he fired multiple rounds of bullets at his uncle. As per the complaint, the crime was committed with a handgun the 23-year-old purchased online. The report added that he was the one who called emergency number 911 and confessing the crime. When asked about who did it, officials say Om stated, “It might be me,” as per PTI. Dilipkumar and Bindu were pronounced dead at the scene, while Yashkumar who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, according to the authorities. Authorities didn’t immediately specify the relationship between the suspect and the victims, but the deceased were later identified as the maternal grandparents and uncle of the accused. Yashkumar’s wife, in a Facebook post, confirmed that Dilipkumar and Bindu were her in-laws, while asking for prayers for her late husband, with whom she shared a four-year-old son. The authorities also confirmed Om resided with the victims. An investigation is currently on. According to the prosecutor’s office, the investigation by South Plainfield detective Thomas Rutter and Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office detective Javier Morillo determined that there was no threat to the public as it was not a random act of violence. The motive for the murder still remains unknown. Family wasn’t well known in the area According to NBC New York, the family lived a quiet life as they were not well known to most neighbours. Neighbours at the Traditions apartment complex, which is home to many young families who emigrated from India, hope that security cameras may help in the investigation. “There’s cameras all over and there are cameras coming in and out of the complex and every building has cameras outside and inside the breezeway. So hopefully that can help,” a neighbour named Victor Orozco told the outlet. Previous incident of domestic violence Another neighbour told the media outlet that this was not the first time police had been called to the condo. “I didn’t really know them, I just know one time the police were there for a domestic violence call. Can happen anywhere but it is really creepy, it’s right downstairs,” said neighbour Jim Short, who lives upstairs from the unit where the three people were found dead. About the man who killed his relatives Om had relocated to the US just about 18 months ago, The Times of India reported quoting people close to the Brahmbhatt family in Gujarat’s Anand district. The sources said that the 23-year-old had gone for higher studies. Currently, police say Om was taken into custody at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center and was later charged with three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney and a listed number for him couldn’t be found.