In a deeply disturbing incident reported from Newcastle, Washington, Indian-origin entrepreneur Harshavardhana S. Kikkeri, 57, allegedly shot dead his wife and 14-year-old son before dying by suicide at their home on April 24. The family tragedy has sent shockwaves through both the local community in Washington and the tech circles in India.
The victims have been identified as Harshavardhana Kikkeri, the founder and CEO of the robotics company HoloWorld, his wife Shwetha Panyam, 44, who co-founded the company, and their teenage son. Their younger son survived the incident. News footage from the scene showed a child being escorted away and comforted by law enforcement officials. The King County Sheriff’s Office has yet to confirm the identities of the children.
Authorities have not revealed a possible motive for the violent act and have stated that the investigation is still ongoing. “It is not immediately clear what provoked the extreme act,” police told media, according to an NDTV report.
Kikkeri was originally from KR Pet Taluk in Karnataka’s Mandya district and had a notable career in the tech sector, including a stint at Microsoft. In 2017, he and his wife returned to India and established HoloWorld in Mysuru’s Vijayanagar Third Stage. The company, which focused on robotics, ceased operations in 2022 following financial strain during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kikkeri later returned to the U.S.
The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of grief among those who knew the family, both in India and abroad. Friends and former colleagues are grappling with the shocking news, while authorities continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the tragic events.
