In a quiet West Des Moines, Iowa neighborhood, a tragedy unfolded on June 15, 2019, ending the life of 14-year-old Prabhas Sunkara. The young male, of Indian-American descent, was discovered deceased inside his family's home alongside his mother, Lavanya Sunkara, 41, and his younger brother, Suhas, who was 11 years old. The scene that greeted law enforcement was one of immense sorrow, as all three family members had succumbed to fatal gunshot wounds.
The investigation soon revealed a
fourth victim, the family's patriarch, 44-year-old Chandrasekhar Sunkara, who was also found dead from a gunshot wound. The discovery was made after guests staying in the home found the family and one of them ran outside to seek help from a neighbor, who then called 911. As detectives from the West Des Moines Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation began to piece together the events, a grim picture emerged. Forensic autopsies later confirmed that the deaths of Prabhas, his brother, and his mother were homicides.
In the days that followed, authorities determined that there were no outside suspects involved in the deaths. The investigation concluded that Chandrasekhar Sunkara, an IT professional with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, was the sole perpetrator. Evidence indicated that he had shot and killed his wife and two sons before turning the gun on himself. His death was officially ruled a suicide. Records showed that Chandrasekhar had legally obtained a permit to carry a weapon just a few months prior, in April of that year, after passing a state-mandated background check. With the suspect deceased, the case was closed without any arrests, leaving a community to mourn the devastating loss of an entire family.
