Seattle-Area
Newcastle, WA — A devastating incident has shaken the Indian-American community in the Seattle area, where a tech CEO allegedly killed his wife and son before taking his own life. On April 24, 2025, Harshavardhana Kikkeri, a 57-year-old tech entrepreneur, is believed to have fatally shot his wife, Shwetha Panyam, 44, and their 14-year-old son, Dhruva Kikkeri, before dying by suicide at their home in Newcastle. Their 7-year-old son survived the tragedy, as he was not at home at the time.
Key Facts:
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Date of Incident: April 24, 2025
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Location: Newcastle, Washington, a suburb of Seattle
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Deceased: Harshavardhana Kikkeri (57), Shwetha Panyam (44), and Dhruva Kikkeri (14)
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Survivor: 7-year-old son
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Cause of Deaths: Shwetha and Dhruva died from gunshot wounds (homicides); Harshavardhana died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound (suicide)
According to the King County Medical Examiner's Office, Shwetha Panyam and Dhruva Kikkeri died from gunshot wounds, and their deaths have been ruled as homicides. Harshavardhana Kikkeri died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his death has been ruled a suicide.
Report Credit: https://content.govdelivery.com/
Law enforcement arrived at the 7000 block of 129th Street after 8 p.m. and did not leave until late into the night, after 3:45 a.m.
Police responded to a 911 call at a townhouse in King County, Washington, where they made a chilling discovery—blood on a window, a bullet in the street, and three bodies inside the home.
According to King County Sheriff’s spokesperson Brandyn Hull, the scene pointed to a violent incident that has left a community reeling. The victims were identified as tech entrepreneur Harshavardhana Kikkeri, his wife Shwetha Panyam, and their 14-year-old son, Dhruva.
Back in Mysuru, a family friend confirmed the tragic news, adding that Harshavardhana’s mother, Girija, has left for the U.S. to cope with the loss. His elder brother Chethan, who had recently returned to Mysuru after living in the U.S., is also grieving. Harshavardhana’s father, Kikkeri Narayana, was a respected linguist and progressive activist.
Harshavardhana Kikkeri was a native of Mandya, Karnataka, and had studied in Mysuru before moving to the United States, where he earned a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University.
He worked at Microsoft, specializing in robotics, and later co-founded HoloWorld, a robotics company, with his wife, Shwetha Panyam. The company ceased operations in 2022.
An investigation such as this takes time… Our detectives are working diligently to piece together what led to this incident,” said a spokesperson from the King County Sheriff's Office.
It’s hard to wrap your head around how someone so brilliant, so driven, could end up like this. Harshavardhana Kikkeri wasn’t just a tech guy—he was a robotics genius. He had 44 patents. He once showed his invention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He even took the stage at TEDx, speaking passionately about technology’s future.
His invention, the HoloSuit, felt like something out of a sci-fi movie. A full-body suit that tracks your every movement and even gives you feedback—almost like the “Ready Player One” suit. It was built for gaming, training, even border security. That’s how far his vision went.
He spent over two decades building this future. Worked at Microsoft. Mastered machine learning, drones, computer vision, robotics—you name it. People who knew him say he was always thinking ten steps ahead.
That’s why this is so hard to understand. It doesn’t make sense. Some online are even asking if there’s more to this story—maybe foul play? But again, those are just rumors. Asia91 encourages everyone to hold back on assumptions and wait for the full investigation to unfold. The facts matter, especially in a case as heartbreaking as this.
For now, what’s clear is that a remarkable life has ended too soon—and a family, a community, and a legacy have been left in shock.