Naren Prabhu, left, seen here with his daughter, Rachel Prabhu. The former was gunned down by Rachel's ex-boyfriend last week.
Naren Prabhu, left, seen here with his daughter, Rachel Prabhu. The former was gunned down by Rachel’s ex-boyfriend last week.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Diya TV) — A 24-year-old man who shot and killed the parents of his ex-girlfriend has been killed by police, authorities said Friday.
Shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, the couple’s 20-year-old son notified authorities that he had found his father shot to death in the doorway of their San Jose home, police later identified that man as Naren Prabhu, who was the vice president of engineering at Jupiter Networks. The son worried that his mother had fallen victim to the rampage, as well.
“When officers arrived at the home they saw an adult man deceased in the front doorway suffering from at least one gunshot wound,” San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said. “Officers learned from the adult son that his mother and 13-year-old brother, along with the suspect, were still inside the house. In addition, [he] thought his mom had been shot.”
A standoff quickly developed at the home. The suspect, later identified as Mirza Tatlic, had barricaded himself inside of Prabhu’s home, SWAT were called to intervene and neighbors were ordered to take shelter in their homes.
When negotiators arrived and begun speaking with Tatlic, he refused to surrender. At one point, Tatlic used Prabhu’s 13-year-old son as a human shield, but eventually let him leave the house, police said.
“The suspect appeared at [a window] at one point and pointed a handgun at officers,” Garcia explained. “In fear for the lives of fellow officers and victims that still may have been in the house, at least one round was fired by an officer, striking the suspect.”
Authorities entered the home and found the bodies of a man and a woman, both of whom had been shot to death.The coroner’s office identified the man as Prabhu, his wife’s identity has not been released. Tatlic was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary investigation revealed Tatlic was the ex-boyfriend of the couple’s daughter — Rachel Prabhu — who was not home at the time of the shooting.
Authorities said the family had a restraining order against Tatlic, but that proved futile in ultimately protecting them.
“The relationship ended last year,” Garcia said. “The suspect had a history of domestic violence and there was an active criminal restraining order.”
The daughter’s trouble relationship had played out for months on social media outlets, with increasingly ominous posts revealed on Instagram. On April 25, Tatlic wrote that there would be “no mercy on the ones that love you most.” He also posted a picture of his ex-girlfriend with the caption, “The devil smiles but the eyes sells the devil.” A final post showed a pack of cigarettes and the words, “Hope I get more than just one…the real Mirzat…sucks this cost me my lyf.”
“We were dealing with someone who was mentally ill,” Garcia added. “He had choices. He didn’t give this family a choice. He didn’t give my officer a choice.”
