In a quiet Manassas Park, Virginia neighborhood, a tragedy unfolded that cut short the lives of a family who had moved to the United States from Nepal in search of a new beginning. On the evening of June 5, 2025, police were called to a downstairs apartment on Lanae Lane for a welfare check, a call prompted by the landlord who had been unable to reach his tenants.
Inside, they made a grim discovery.
Anju Shrestha, a 36-year-old Nepali woman, was found deceased alongside Santosh Pariyar, 38, and their two young children, an 8-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. All four had succumbed to apparent gunshot wounds in what investigators believe was a murder-suicide. A firearm was recovered at the scene. Neighbors described the family as quiet and the children as being full of life, often seen playing outside.
The news sent shockwaves through the local Nepali community and left family back in Nepal devastated and searching for answers. The investigation into the deaths is ongoing, and authorities have not yet publicly stated who they believe was responsible for the shootings. The incident has left a void in the lives of their loved ones, who remember a family just starting to build their American dream.
