18 shots hit victims in West Chester quadruple homicide, preliminary autopsies state

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A preliminary autopsy report reveals more details about the shooting deaths of four family members in a West Chester apartment last month, but authorities haven't yet named a suspect in the case.

A total of 18 shots hit the four victims, according to the report, which WCPO was allowed to view but not record in any way. The first victim would have been seen by police when they opened the front door.

Hakiakat Pannag, 59, was shot in the head eight times. He was found with his head on a pillow in a bedroom.

MORE: 4 weeks after West Chester homicides, what do we know?

His wife, 62-year-old Parmjit Kaur, was shot four times in the head and once in the arm. She was found lying on the living room floor.

Members of the Guru Nanak Society Sikh Gurudwara Sahib of Greater Cincinnati pray inside their temple on Tylersville Road in West Chester Township. Four people were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds inside an apartment at Lakefront at West Chester apartment complex on Wyndtree Drive in West Chester Township Monday, April 29, 2019. Among the dead were several members of the temple. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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Their daughter, 39-year-old Shalinderjit Kaur, was also found on the living room floor. She'd been shot three times.

Parmjit's sister who had been visiting from India, 58-year-old Amarjit Kaur, was shot twice in the head and was also found in the living room.

Police found all four dead at the Wyndtree Drive apartment on April 28 after responding to a 911 call at about 9:50 p.m. At least one of the victims had been preparing food, which was burning on the stove by the time police arrived. Investigators believe the victims were killed at about 9:15 p.m.

PHOTOS: 4 bodies found in West Chester apartment, police investigating as homicides

The preliminary autopsy reports do not generally say at what range the shots were fired, except for Hakiakat, who was shot at "intermediate range."

Officials said they didn't know when the final autopsies would be complete.

Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation forensic dive team searches the pond Tuesday, April 30, 2019 behind an apartment building where four people were found dead early Monday morning at Lakefront at West Chester apartments in West Chester Township. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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Investigators have been mostly quiet about the case since they executed a search warrant related to the case at another West Chester apartment earlier this month. Court officials said the search warrant is sealed, and authorities haven't said what they were looking for.

While many details haven't been publicly shared, police have repeatedly assured members of the local Sikh community that the case is their "top priority." Jasminder Singh, the president of the local Guru Nanak society, said West Chester Police Chief Joel Herzog personally visited the Sikh temple to speak about their commitment to the case. Officials have said they do not believe the incident was a hate crime.

"The victims and their families are on our minds every step of the way in this investigation," Herzog previously said.

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