Indian techie kills wife, son; dies by suicide in US home

New York: Three Indian-origin individuals were found dead following a shooting incident at a residence in Newcastle, Washington, according to US media reports. The tragic event took place on April 24.

The deceased have been identified as Harshavardhana Kikkeri (44), Shwetha Panyam (41), and Dhruva Kikkeri (14) as reported by The Seattle Times on Tuesday. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the deaths of Shwetha and Dhruva as homicides, while Harshavardhana’s death was deemed a suicide.

According to neighbours cited by KOMO News, a young family had been living at the townhouse on 129th Street, where the incident unfolded. On the night of the shooting, emergency services responded to a 911 call at the residence. A child was seen being escorted out and consoled by investigators, as reported by the KING 5 television station.

Unconfirmed media reports suggest that Harshavardhana and Shwetha were co-founders of an Indian artificial intelligence technology company named Holoworld. The company’s website states that it was established in 2018, with Harshavardhana serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer, and Shwetha as the President.

King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Brandyn Hull declined to confirm whether the case is officially being investigated as a murder-suicide. “We understand many questions remain about the events that took place in Newcastle on April 24,” Hull told the Renton Reporter. “An investigation such as this takes time, and our detectives are working diligently to try and piece together what led to this incident. Until this work concludes, the Sheriff's Office won't have any further updates.”

No official information has yet been released regarding a possible motive or the exact nature of the relationships among the deceased.

With PTI inputs