23-Year-Old Indian Student Shoots Dead Grandparents Who Convinced Him To Come To US For Studies; Also Kills Uncle

A 23-year-old Indian student shot dead his both grandparents and one uncle in their house in the Middlesex area of the United States' New Jersey. According to a release from the South Plainfield Police Department, they reached the crime scene after a gunfire report was received.

The accused, Om Brahmbhatt, who was arrested at the scene, has been charged with three counts of first-degree Murder. Police have also put three counts of second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose on the accused, said the release.

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"[On] November 27, 2023, at approximately 9:00 A.M. authorities responded to a residence on Coppola Drive in South Plainfield following the report of shots fired. Upon their arrival, officers located three victims: two males Dilipkumar Brahmbhatt, 72, of South Plainfield and Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, 38, of South Plainfield, and one female, Bindu Brahmbhatt, 72, of South Plainfield," the release read.

Dilipkumar Brahmbhatt, 72, and Bindu Brahmbhatt, 72, were declared dead at the location. Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, 38, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was later pronounced dead at the hospital in the incident which took place on Monday. Victims who lost their lives are recognised as the accused's maternal grandparents and uncle, said the police.

The police report indicates that Om Brahmbhatt admitted to shooting his grandparents as they slept in their bedroom and then went to a rear bedroom, where he reportedly shot his uncle multiple times. The complaint said that the crime was carried out using a handgun that Brahmbhatt claims to have bought online.

According to people close to the Brahmbhatt family in Gujarat's Anand District, Om had moved to the US around 18 months ago, reported Times of India. He was encouraged by his maternal grandfather to pursue higher studies in the US.

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Om is currently held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center awaiting a pre-trial detention hearing. It remains unclear whether he has legal representation and a listed contact number for him could not be located, said the release.