Family dead in apparent murder-suicide in West Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania

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The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the West Whiteland Township Police Department announced an investigation into an apparent murder-suicide of four family members at their West Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania home on Jan. 24, 2021.

According to a press release from the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, the deceased have been identified by the Chester County Coroner’s Office as Deepak Prabakhar Kulkarni, 50, Arti Madhusudan Ayda, 47, Shubham Deepak Kulkarni, 15, and Sharvil Deepak Kulkarni, 8, all of West Whiteland Township, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Jan. 25.

Deepak P. Kulkarni had purchased a gun two weeks before police found the family’s bodies in the basement of their home. Early indication is that he used that gun to kill his wife and their two sons, the Inquirer reported, quoting unnamed sources.

On Jan. 24, West Whiteland Township Police were called to the 100 block of Mountainview Road in West Whiteland Township after out-of-state family members could not reach the family for several days, according to the press release.

Police used a garage door opener from one of the family’s vehicles to enter the residence, where they found members of the family dead in the basement, the release said.

Deb Ryan, Chester County DA, said in the press release, “This is a tragedy beyond comprehension because two children and both their parents are dead. These were members of our community. We will do everything in our power to learn why this horrific incident happened and urge anyone who needs support to contact the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255. My sympathy goes out to the family for their unimaginable loss.”