DALLAS, Texas — Authorities say the fatal shooting of Ranjana Shrestha, 37, her son Pranish Pradhan, 3, and their father Lalit Pradhan, 53 early Saturday morning in east Oak Cliff appears to have been a murder-suicide, leaving a close-knit family and community reeling from the devastating loss.
According to the Dallas Police Department, officers were called to the 1900 block of Dudley Avenue around 2:45 a.m. on Saturday, where they discovered a tragic scene. Three-year-old Pranish Pradhan and his mother, Ranjana Shrestha, were found suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were later pronounced dead.
Investigators determined that the shooter was 53-year-old Lalit Pradhan, Shrestha’s husband and the father of Pranish. Police say Lalit Pradhan shot his wife and child before turning the gun on himself. Responding officers later found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound; he was transported to Methodist Dallas Medical Center, where he died later that night.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the identities of the victims. The family, in a statement shared via a GoFundMe campaign, described the incident as one that has “shattered both sides of the family and left deep emotional and cultural wounds that will take years to heal.”
Loved ones say the public perception of Lalit Pradhan may not tell the full story.
“He was a respected educator, a community volunteer, and a man who had spent decades serving others,” the family wrote.
Pradhan was a founding teacher at New Horizon Academy in the Sanischare Refugee Camp, where he worked to educate children in one of the most challenging environments in the world.
Shrestha is remembered as a devoted mother whose love for her son was evident in every aspect of her life. Friends and relatives say Pranish was a bright, joyful child who brought light and laughter to all who knew him.
The Dallas Police Homicide Unit continues to investigate the case, but officials say all evidence so far points to a domestic-related murder-suicide. Police have not commented on what may have led to the shooting.
The tragedy has left the local Nepalese and Bhutanese communities in Dallas-Fort Worth deeply shaken. Vigils are being planned to honor the lives of Ranjana Shrestha and Pranish Pradhan, while family members overseas are grappling with the devastating news from afar.
Counselors and community leaders are urging anyone struggling with family violence or emotional distress to seek help. Local organizations have provided crisis hotlines and domestic violence resources in response to the incident.
The GoFundMe organized by relatives aims to help with funeral costs and support grieving family members. In their words, this is not just the loss of three lives, but “a rupture in the very fabric of our family and our community.”
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