Sreenivas and Shanti Nakirekanti’s 16-year-old daughter slept through the shootings.
Sugar Land, Texas, a Houston suburb with a sizeable Indian American population, woke up to a shocking case of murder suicide on Monday morning. An Indian American couple was found dead at their home on the morning of February 18. According to police, an anonymous caller called 911 and gave the address to before hanging up.
According to a local website, a preliminary police investigation indicated that Sreenivas Nakirekanti (51) shot and killed Shanti Nakirekanti (46) and then killed himself.
When police arrived at the address, they found Shanti lying dead on the driveway. She died of a gunshot on her head. Inside the house, Sreenivas was lying dead in the bedroom. He had a gunshot on his chest and a gun was found nearby. The gunshot appeared self-inflicted.
RELATED: Sugar Land murder-suicide: Sreenivas Nakirekanti himself called 911 before committing suicide (February 19, 2019)
The couple’s 16-year-old daughter slept through the incident, according to police.
The Sugar Land Police Department said in a press statement: “The two fatalities in Telfair fits the scenario of a murder-suicide. The case is still under investigation. There is no danger to residents and SLPD is not looking for any suspects.”
While the cause of the murder suicide is still not known, the primary investigations point out that Sreenivas shot his wife before turning the gun to himself.
Shanti’s colleague Bincy Jacob posted on her Facebook page: “Rest in Peace and Power, Shanti Nakirekanti. Praying that your friends and family find peace and solace in this senseless tragedy and that your children will be surrounded with love in this horrific time. In addition to the other roles she played in her life, this hits close to home, as Shanti was also a fellow Realtor at Keller Williams Memorial. Remembering Shanti and all of the other lives cut short throughout the years. If you need help, please reach out before it is too late.”
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Shanti Nakirekanti was the project lead architect at United Airlines and had also worked at Chevron in Houston.
Sreenivas Nakirekanti was the president of the Houston -based Indo American Charity Foundation. The organization works toward raising funds to support nonprofits in the Greater Houston area. During the Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the organization raised $200,000 to support those affected by the devastating storm. In the past, Sreenivas has held positions as a senior director of financial planning and analysis at NextEra Energy Services.
Both Nakirekantis were alumni of Texas A&M University in College Station in Texas. They also have a 21-year-old son who studies at University of Texas. They belonged to the Telugu American community.
The local ABC affiliate wrote, quoting friends, that Sreenivas had sent emails on Monday morning “alluding to something bad.” The mails have been turned over to police.
According to friends and neighbors the couple appeared like a normal, happy family and there were no signs of restrain. Once the investigations are over, there will be more clarity on the case. However, the case may go on to be the latest in the increasing number of domestic violence cases being reported amongst South Asian community in the United States.