On a summer day in West Des Moines, Iowa, the quiet of a suburban neighborhood was shattered by a grim discovery. On June 15, 2019, 41-year-old Lavanya Sunkara, a female of Indian-American descent, was found deceased in her home. This tragic event unfolded in the 900 block of 65th Street, a residence the Sunkara family had owned for only a few months.
The scene that first responders encountered was one of profound tragedy, as Lavanya was not the only victim.
Inside the home, authorities also found the bodies of Lavanya's husband, 44-year-old Chandrasekhar Sunkara, and their two sons, ages 15 and 10. The cause of death for all four family members was determined to be gunshot wounds. The discovery was made after a family member, who was a guest in the home along with two adults and two other children, ran outside seeking help and a passerby called 911.
Subsequent investigation by the West Des Moines Police Department and forensic autopsies conducted by the State Medical Examiner's Office brought clarity to the horrific event. Lavanya Sunkara's death, along with her two sons, was ruled a homicide. The investigation concluded that Chandrasekhar Sunkara was the perpetrator of the violence. After taking the lives of his wife and children, he died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities confirmed that Chandrasekhar had legally obtained a permit to purchase a weapon in the months leading up to the incident. In the wake of the murder-suicide, police assured the public that there was no ongoing threat to the community as the sole suspect was deceased.
