Grief and shock surround King County in Seattle, Washington, even as an NRI techie shoots his wife and son fatally at their home, before killing himself.

Harshavardhana Kikkeri, former CEO of HoloWorld, a robotics company headquartered in Mysuru, left India to make a living in the US soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, when his company had to be shut down due to financial losses. Sources say he never returned to India after 2022.

His wife Shwetha and their 14-year-old son were at home when the tragedy struck. A younger seven-year-old son escaped as he was not at home then.

The King County police rushed to the scene of crime following a 911 call to find a bullet on the street and blood on the house window. When they broke in, they discovered the bodies of the three lying around.

Kikkeri’s mother, Girija, has left for the US. Law enforcement authorities in Seattle have not revealed the motive of the killings. Kikkeri’s elder brother, Chethan, who was earlier in the US, had only recently returned to India to settle down in Mysuru for good.

Community leaders in the US have called for awareness and support systems to reach out to individuals and families, who are affected by financial problems or unemployment. – editor@nrifocus.com