Jalandhar: A 19-year-old youth of Punjabi origin has been arrested for allegedly killing his parents and maternal grandmother in the US, just months after the family visited their native village of Lakhpur, near Banga in Nawanshahr district.Gaurav Chopra is accused of shooting his father, Sweeta Ram, 56; his mother, Kamlesh Rani, 46; and his maternal grandmother, Mohinder Kaur, 73, inside their home in Alton, Texas, on the night of June 16. He also faces a first-degree felony charge of attempted capital murder for allegedly shooting at his 21-year-old brother, Hidalgo county sherrif Eddie Guerra said at a press conference Thursday morning. According to a police affidavit reported by ValleyCentral.com, the brother discovered the scene while walking upstairs and spotting legs on the floor. Gaurav then approached him, pointed a handgun at his head, and fired once, missing, the report said. After a brief chase through the house, the brother escaped, called authorities, and reported that Gaurav had killed the family and fled in a white Lexus. Following a police pursuit, Gaurav was apprehended, and investigators recovered the suspected murder weapon from his vehicle. He appeared before a judge on Thursday to face multiple counts of capital murder. Sheriff Guerra said investigators are still searching for a motive, adding that the suspect has no criminal history and drugs do not appear to be a factor. Back in Nawanshahr, relatives in Lakhpur are in deep shock. “The family visited the village four to five months ago and was very happy. We are both devastated and shocked,” said Sweeta Ram’s cousin, Makhan Singh. Ram had emigrated to the US roughly 30 years ago. Ram was a prominent business owner in nearby Palmview, Texas, where mayor Rick Villarreal expressed his profound grief. “Ram was like family to me. He was a high-spirited, motivating person and always had positive things to say. I never heard him say a negative thing,” the mayor said. MSID:: 131861392 413 |
