oct 6th, 2008
poor hindu man from the financial industry kills himself and family.
poor hindu man from the financial industry kills himself and family.
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From: viji
6 found dead in Porter Ranch murder-suicide, police say
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-porterranch7-2008oct07,0,7425239.story?track=rss
Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
Police say an unemployed financial advisor shot and killed his wife, mother-in-law, and three sons before turning the gun on himself.
By Richard Winton and Ari B. Bloomekatz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 7, 2008
An unemployed financial advisor apparently despondent over his troubles shot and killed his wife, his mother-in-law and three children before taking his own life in a gated community in the northwest San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police said today.
Officers responding to a call from concerned friends found the bodies about 8:30 a.m. in a two-story house in the 20600 block of Como Lane in Porter Ranch, said LAPD Deputy Chief Michel Moore.
"We believe this to be a murder-suicide," Moore said. "It appears [the gunman] killed his family and then took his own life."
Karthik Rajaram, 45, used a handgun he purchased Sept. 16, Moore said. The weapon was found still in his grasp, he said. The bodies of the man's 39-year-old wife, 69-year-old mother-in-law Indra Ramasesham, and three sons -- ages 19, 12 and 7 -- were found inside the home's various bedrooms. Authorities had earlier said that one of the victims was the gunman's mother but now say it was his mother-in-law.
Friends and neighbors identified the suspect's wife as Subasri Rajaram and said the close-knit family had lived in the neighborhood for a few years.
All of the victims were shot in the head and some were shot multiple times, Moore said at an afternoon news conference in front of the house.
"This is a perfect American family behind me that has absolutely been destroyed," he said. "It is critical to step up and recognize we are in some pretty troubled times."
Ramasesham was found in a downstairs bedroom, Moore said. The 19-year-old victim, whom police identified as Krishna Rajaram, was found in the master bedroom and his mother in another upstairs bedroom.
In an adjacent room, police found the 12-year-old, whom school officials identified as Ganesha Rajaram, on the floor and the 7-year-old in bed, Moore said. The gunman was also found in that same room, he said.
Police believe that the gunman shot the victims sometime after 6 p.m. Saturday, and that he had left behind three letters indicating that he had carried out the killings, Moore said. One letter, addressed to law enforcement, confessed to the shootings. He wrote a second letter to friends. The third letter, police said, appeared to be a will.
Moore said Rajaram had previously worked for Price Waterhouse and Sony Pictures and "had attested to some financial difficulties," Moore said. "He had become despondent over his financial" situation.
There was no evidence that Rajaram had sought help from mental health professionals, Moore said. The context of the letters and the fact Rajaram had recently purchased the handgun indicated that his actions were "premeditated," he said.
"His narrative is one of talking of tragedy befalling him," Moore said. "He was contemplating an exit strategy."
In one of his letters, Moore said, Rajaram talked of two options: taking his own life or taking his own life and that of his family. "He talked himself into the second strategy," Moore said. "That that would be the honorable thing to do."
The Rajarams sold their home in Northridge in 2006 for $750,000, making a sizable profit on a home they purchased in 1997 for $274,000. According to property records, they took out two loans for $241,400.
Authorities were alerted to the homicide when friends who carpooled with the gunman's wife called police because no one had answered the door at their house.
Next-door neighbor Kinda Almukaddem, who said she had rarely spoken to the family since they moved in three years ago, said Karthik Rajaram visited twice in the last two weeks asking whether she would be home this past weekend. He urged her to keep her side windows shut because he had heard of burglaries in the area.
Rajaram seemed nervous -- shaking, pacing and taking notes on a notepad as he spoke to her, she said.
"He noticed my side windows were open, the side that my house shares with him," she said. "Now, come to think of it, I think he was trying to have me close my windows on that side so I wouldn't hear anything."
The family rented the home on Como Lane, according to the owner, who did not want to be identified. She said the family is of Indian descent.
"They were a very nice family," she said. "We had no indications anything was wrong."
Ganesha Rajaram, 12, was a 7th grade honors student at Alfred B. Nobel in Northridge, which he had attended for the last two years, said Principal Robert Coburn. His parents were very involved in his education, frequently interacting with teachers and never showing signs that anything was amiss, he said.
"He did an outstanding job in school," Coburn said of Ganesha. "He was a real likable kid."
Counselors were at the school today to help students cope with the loss and will be on campus again on Tuesday, Coburn said. The school also sent a letter home with students to inform their parents about the incident, he said.
Last year, students at the school struggled with the death of an 8th grade student who was killed after being hit by a car, Coburn said. But the fatal shooting of a young boy by his own father would be even more difficult for students and parents to deal with, he said.
"This one will shake people to the core," he said. "When you think about it, all kids have a mom and dad. And if a father can do this to his kids, it's very scary."
richard.winton@latimes.com
ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com
Times staff writers Victoria Kim, Evelyn Larrubia and Jennifer Oldham contributed to this story.
From: viji
6 found dead in Porter Ranch murder-suicide, police say
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-porterranch7-2008oct07,0,7425239.story?track=rss
Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
Police say an unemployed financial advisor shot and killed his wife, mother-in-law, and three sons before turning the gun on himself.
By Richard Winton and Ari B. Bloomekatz, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
October 7, 2008
An unemployed financial advisor apparently despondent over his troubles shot and killed his wife, his mother-in-law and three children before taking his own life in a gated community in the northwest San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles police said today.
Officers responding to a call from concerned friends found the bodies about 8:30 a.m. in a two-story house in the 20600 block of Como Lane in Porter Ranch, said LAPD Deputy Chief Michel Moore.
"We believe this to be a murder-suicide," Moore said. "It appears [the gunman] killed his family and then took his own life."
Karthik Rajaram, 45, used a handgun he purchased Sept. 16, Moore said. The weapon was found still in his grasp, he said. The bodies of the man's 39-year-old wife, 69-year-old mother-in-law Indra Ramasesham, and three sons -- ages 19, 12 and 7 -- were found inside the home's various bedrooms. Authorities had earlier said that one of the victims was the gunman's mother but now say it was his mother-in-law.
Friends and neighbors identified the suspect's wife as Subasri Rajaram and said the close-knit family had lived in the neighborhood for a few years.
All of the victims were shot in the head and some were shot multiple times, Moore said at an afternoon news conference in front of the house.
"This is a perfect American family behind me that has absolutely been destroyed," he said. "It is critical to step up and recognize we are in some pretty troubled times."
Ramasesham was found in a downstairs bedroom, Moore said. The 19-year-old victim, whom police identified as Krishna Rajaram, was found in the master bedroom and his mother in another upstairs bedroom.
In an adjacent room, police found the 12-year-old, whom school officials identified as Ganesha Rajaram, on the floor and the 7-year-old in bed, Moore said. The gunman was also found in that same room, he said.
Police believe that the gunman shot the victims sometime after 6 p.m. Saturday, and that he had left behind three letters indicating that he had carried out the killings, Moore said. One letter, addressed to law enforcement, confessed to the shootings. He wrote a second letter to friends. The third letter, police said, appeared to be a will.
Moore said Rajaram had previously worked for Price Waterhouse and Sony Pictures and "had attested to some financial difficulties," Moore said. "He had become despondent over his financial" situation.
There was no evidence that Rajaram had sought help from mental health professionals, Moore said. The context of the letters and the fact Rajaram had recently purchased the handgun indicated that his actions were "premeditated," he said.
"His narrative is one of talking of tragedy befalling him," Moore said. "He was contemplating an exit strategy."
In one of his letters, Moore said, Rajaram talked of two options: taking his own life or taking his own life and that of his family. "He talked himself into the second strategy," Moore said. "That that would be the honorable thing to do."
The Rajarams sold their home in Northridge in 2006 for $750,000, making a sizable profit on a home they purchased in 1997 for $274,000. According to property records, they took out two loans for $241,400.
Authorities were alerted to the homicide when friends who carpooled with the gunman's wife called police because no one had answered the door at their house.
Next-door neighbor Kinda Almukaddem, who said she had rarely spoken to the family since they moved in three years ago, said Karthik Rajaram visited twice in the last two weeks asking whether she would be home this past weekend. He urged her to keep her side windows shut because he had heard of burglaries in the area.
Rajaram seemed nervous -- shaking, pacing and taking notes on a notepad as he spoke to her, she said.
"He noticed my side windows were open, the side that my house shares with him," she said. "Now, come to think of it, I think he was trying to have me close my windows on that side so I wouldn't hear anything."
The family rented the home on Como Lane, according to the owner, who did not want to be identified. She said the family is of Indian descent.
"They were a very nice family," she said. "We had no indications anything was wrong."
Ganesha Rajaram, 12, was a 7th grade honors student at Alfred B. Nobel in Northridge, which he had attended for the last two years, said Principal Robert Coburn. His parents were very involved in his education, frequently interacting with teachers and never showing signs that anything was amiss, he said.
"He did an outstanding job in school," Coburn said of Ganesha. "He was a real likable kid."
Counselors were at the school today to help students cope with the loss and will be on campus again on Tuesday, Coburn said. The school also sent a letter home with students to inform their parents about the incident, he said.
Last year, students at the school struggled with the death of an 8th grade student who was killed after being hit by a car, Coburn said. But the fatal shooting of a young boy by his own father would be even more difficult for students and parents to deal with, he said.
"This one will shake people to the core," he said. "When you think about it, all kids have a mom and dad. And if a father can do this to his kids, it's very scary."
richard.winton@latimes.com
ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com
Times staff writers Victoria Kim, Evelyn Larrubia and Jennifer Oldham contributed to this story.
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