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Now, a tight-knit Nepali community in Virginia is grieving the loss of an entire family, found shot to death inside their Manassas Park apartment.
Police believe the case was a murder-suicide, but as the investigation continues, heartbroken friends are scrambling to raise money to bury the victims according to their sacred traditions — and help their loved ones begin to heal.
At 10:40 p.m. on Thursday, June 5, officers were called to the 9400 block of Lanae Lane for a welfare check after the homeowner asked police to check on his tenants.
Inside the downstairs unit, officers found a horrifying scene: two adults and two children, all dead from apparent gunshot wounds. A gun was recovered at the scene.
The victims were later identified as Santosh Pariyar, 38, Anju Shrestha, 36, their 8-year-old daughter, and 2-year-old son, according to the Manassas Park Police Department.
Police have not publicly identified who fired the weapon or released further details about what may have led to the violence.
“We ask for the public’s patience as we investigate the incident,” police said in a statement.
According to a GoFundMe created by family friend Kushom Leftwich, the family had recently moved to Virginia and hailed from Nepal.
Neighbors said the children were often seen playing outside, "full of life," and described the parents as "quiet, kind, and loving."
The news of their deaths has sent shockwaves through the local Nepali community, which is now working to ensure the family’s final rites are carried out according to tradition.
“This unimaginable tragedy has left loved ones and the community in shock and mourning,” Leftwich wrote.
The fundraiser will help cover funeral and memorial expenses for all four victims.
Anju’s brother is still in Nepal and is urgently trying to secure a visa to come to the US so he can perform final rites and cultural rituals, loved ones say.
"Those rites," Leftwich said, "are of deep importance to the family and community."
“These customs are of deep importance,” the GoFundMe states. “Your support will help ensure they are honored properly.”
Additional donations will assist with "legal, logistical, and support costs for the extended family during this time of grief."
The GoFundMe can be found here.
"We kindly ask for your support — whether through a donation or by sharing this page — as we honor the lives of Santosh, Anju, and their beautiful children," the fundraiser states.
"No contribution is too small, and every act of kindness matters deeply during this painful time."
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