An Indian family of four from Kerala was found dead inside their home in California's San Mateo on Monday, February 12. The deceased have been identified as Anand Sujith Henry (42), wife Alice Priyanka (40), and their twin children Noah and Neithan (4).
The adults were found in their bathroom with gunshot wounds. The cause of death is still under investigation.
According to the San Mateo Police Department (SMPD), officers were dispatched to their house on the report of a welfare check. They did not see any signs of forced entry into the house. "Finding an unlocked window, officers entered the home and located four people dead; 1 adult male, 1 adult female, and two children."
"Tragically, the two children were found deceased inside a bedroom. Their cause of death is still under investigation. The male and female were located deceased from gunshot wounds inside a bathroom. A 9mm pistol and a loaded magazine were also found in the bathroom," the SMPD said in a statement.
"Based on the information we have at this time, this appears to be an isolated incident with no danger to the public. Our agency is on scene as this investigation will be ongoing," the SMPD added.
According to Hindustan Times (HT), the Indian Consulate in San Francisco has been in contact with the family members of the deceased in India, offering consular support. Additionally, condolences have been extended to the bereaved family and the Indian American community.
The motive behind the deaths remains unclear, with the police awaiting the results of the autopsy and forensic analysis.
These deaths follow a string of others in a series of unfortunate incidents involving Indian students in the US.
Last week, a Purdue University student, Indian American Sameer Kamath was found dead in Warren County. Another Purdue student, Neel Acharya, was found dead on campus just last month, after being missing for several days.