In the early morning hours of Friday, January 23, 2026, a domestic dispute tragically escalated, leaving four people dead in a Lawrenceville, Georgia home. Among the victims was Harish Chander, a 38-year-old male of Indian origin. The residence on Brook Ivy Court, where Chander lived with relatives, became a crime scene after a 12-year-old child inside the house bravely called 911 around 2:30 a.m.
to report a shooting.
Upon arrival, Gwinnett County police discovered the bodies of Harish Chander, along with Nidhi Chander, 37, Gourav Cumar, 33, and Meemu Dogra, 43. All four victims had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators soon identified the suspect as 51-year-old Vijay Kumar of Atlanta, who was married to Meemu Dogra. The preliminary investigation suggests that a heated argument began between Kumar and Dogra at their Atlanta home. The couple, along with their 12-year-old child, then traveled to the Lawrenceville home where Dogra's relatives resided.
The altercation continued at the Lawrenceville residence, culminating in the fatal shooting of Harish Chander and the other three victims. Three children, including the 12-year-old who made the emergency call, and two others aged seven and ten who lived at the home, were found by police hiding unharmed in a closet. Kumar was apprehended by police a short distance from the home without incident.
Vijay Kumar has since been taken into custody and is facing a multitude of charges, including four counts of malice murder, four counts of felony murder, and four counts of aggravated assault. Additionally, he has been charged with one count of first-degree cruelty to children and two counts of third-degree cruelty to children. The investigation into the motive behind the argument and the subsequent tragic events is ongoing.
