- Shalinderjit Kaur, female, 39
- Amarjit Kaur, female, 58
- Parmjit Kaur, female, 62
- Hakiakat Singh Pannag, male, 59
All four were ruled homicides by gunshot wounds. The time of death for each is listed as 9:50 p.m.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
INITIAL REPORT
A Bureau of Criminal Investigation dive team has left the Lakefront at West Chester apartments after performing a search on Tuesday, two days after four people were found dead at one of the apartments in the complex.
The crew was seen by our reporter searching a pond behind the apartment where the three female and one male family members were discovered after another family member returned home, found them and called 911.
MORE COVERAGE
• What happened in the first 24 hours
• Residents, religious leaders and officials react with shock
• PHOTOS: 4 bodies found in West Chester apartment
A neighbor said he saw the team pull an item from the pond.
“I could see them holding something, but their body was between me and (the item),” said Rick Karvosky, who lives in the complex. “I could just see them carrying something up to the shore and put it in a white bucket.”
Dive team has left West Chester complex from Monday’s homicides. @journalnews pic.twitter.com/iAtzdojMQI
— Michael D Pitman (@MDPitmanJournal) April 30, 2019
The Indian Minister of External Affairs tweeted on Tuesday that the victims included “an Indian national on a visit to US while others were persons of Indian origin” and that the incident “is not a hate crime.”
Indian Ambassador in United States @IndianEmbassyUS has informed me about the killing of four persons in Cincinnati on Sunday evening. One of them was an Indian national on a visit to US while others were persons of Indian origin. /1
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 30, 2019
The matter is under investigation by the Police but it is not a hate crime. Our Consul General in New York is coordinating with the concerned authorities and will keep me informed me on this. @IndiainNewYork /2
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 30, 2019
A West Chester spokesperson also released a statement on Tuesday that indicated the township has received many questions about the victims’ faith and nationality but that “there is no reason to believe that this is a hate crime.”
Police have not provided any other updates today, but chief Joel Herzog said on Monday that all four appeared to suffer gunshot wounds but his department didn’t believe anyone else was in danger.
A large police response followed the discovery on Sunday night at about 9:40 p.m., and officials said they were searching for a suspect. They said they had not identified a suspect, but there were multiple people they wanted to talk to.
Martin Schneider, administrator for the Butler County Coroner's Office, said this morning the office is continuing to contact next of kin for those found dead. Some family members that office is required to notify are from out of the country, he said.
