South Plainfield man fatally shot grandparents, uncle while they slept, affidavit says
A 23-year-old South Plainfield man allegedly fatally shot his grandparents in the head while they were sleeping, then allegedly shot his uncle multiple times while he was in bed, before dialing 911 to report the killings.
Om Brahmbhatt told police he lived in the home and was there at the time of the shootings, according to court papers.
"It might be me," he told police, according to court papers, which also indicate the handgun used in the killings was obtained online.
Brahmbhatt has been charged with three counts of murder and three counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Court papers indicated no motive for the killings.
South Plainfield police responded around 9 a.m. Monday to a 911 call reporting three people had been shot in the home at 324 Coppola Drive in the Traditions condominium complex off New Durham Road.
According to court papers, Dilipkumar Brahmbhatt and Bindu Brahmbhatt, both 72, were in one bedroom, each with a gunshot wound to the head. The third victim, Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, 38, was in another bedroom with multiple gunshot wounds in the upper body but was still breathing. He was taken by EMS to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where he later died.
Dilipkumar Brahmbhatt and Bindu Brahmbhatt were married and Yashkumar Brahmbhatt was their son. Om Brahmbhatt is Yashkumar Brahmbhatt’s nephew and the grandson of Dilipkumar and Bindu Brahmbhatt, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
Police encountered Om Brahmbhatt at the home. Before being taken to police headquarters, a firearms holster was found on Brahmbhatt and the suspected handgun was located in the home, court papers say.
In a video and audio recorded statement at police headquarters, Brahmbhatt said he shot all three relatives with a firearm he purchased online, according to court papers. He said he shot his grandfather in the head while he was sleeping in a bed with his grandmother, and then shot her in the head, court papers say.
He then went to another bedroom where he shot his uncle multiple times, court papers say.
After shooting all three family members, he called 911, court papers say.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: South Plainfield man fatally shot family while they slept: affidavit
