A family of four was found dead inside their home in West Des Moines, Iowa, with apparent gunshot wounds on June 15, according to multiple reports.
The victims were Chandrasekhar Sunkara, 44, Lavanya Sunkara, 41, and two boys—one 15 and the other 10, according to an information release from the West Des Moines Police Department. When the police arrived on the scene, they pronounced the family of four dead.
Police: 4 found dead in Iowa house with apparent gunshot wounds https://t.co/erLdCx7ztD
— MSN News (@MSNNews) June 16, 2019
At the time, another family of four were also staying at the house as guests. They were the ones to find the family, after which one of them immediately ran outside for help. They were able to ask someone who was walking through the neighborhood to call the police, according to the news release.
The bodies were sent away for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death, although initial police investigations indicate gunshot wounds as a probable cause.
“This tragedy will impact family, friends, co-workers, anyone that [knew] this family,” Sergeant Dan Wade said, according to the news release. “We are continuing to work through this investigation. We will follow through until we have answered as many questions as the evidence allows. We are confident, though, that there is no continuing threat to this community.”
In an interview with CNN affiliate KCCI, Wade said, “the key point here is that this investigation will take some time—I know there are a lot of questions on what happened here, and we’re working towards developing answers to those questions.”
According to the West Des Moines Police Department news release, the investigation into the deaths of the family of four will continue as the scene continues to be processed for further evidence.
