Tuesday, October 07, 2008
IS MONEY THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL?
6 die in family murder-suicide in Los Angeles
By CHRISTINA HOAG – 1 hour ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The only hints of trouble in the big beige house on Como Lane were the newspapers in the driveway and the lack of any activity behind the front door.
But when police summoned by worried friends of the residents got inside Monday, they found a horror — six members of a family fatally shot in a murder-suicide committed by an unemployed father in financial crisis.
The body of 45-year-old Karthik Rajaram, a gun clutched in one hand, was found by officers who followed a trail of carnage through the home in a gated community in the Porter Ranch area of the San Fernando Valley.
His victims, most slain in their beds, were his wife, three sons and his mother-in-law.
"Absolute devastation," Deputy Chief Michel Moore told reporters outside the home.
Investigators quickly found two suicide letters and a will, and determined that Rajaram held a master's degree and once worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, a major accounting firm, and for Sony Pictures.
But he had been unemployed for several months and his finances had reached a crisis point in recent weeks, Moore said.
"This is a perfect American family behind me that has absolutely been destroyed, apparently because of a man who just got stuck in a rabbit hole, if you will, of absolute despair," Moore said. "It is critical to step up and recognize we are in some pretty troubled times."
Rajaram wrote in his suicide letter that he felt he had two options — to kill himself or to kill himself and his family — and decided the second option was more honorable, Moore said. The gun was purchased Sept. 16.
I was very sad and disturbed after hearing this news,this is another neighborhood close to my home.I personally don't know if I should feel sorry for Rajaram or not.I don't think we can take someone elses life.he was still young and could have worked again and made up the loss ,I don't know what made him do what he did, is it not having the money he had ,there were so many options out there than killing themselves,it is really sad.Do you think Money is the root of all evil? Do you think we have the right to take the lives of our childen?
28 comments:
How awful! What a dark hole that man must have felt himself in. But no, I don not feel one has the right to take someone else's life in any circumstance.
i saw that news earlier. Shocking!! he had no right to take the lives of his sons either. they were young and capable!!
money and ego - i presume!!!
Very sad Starry. If money is the only root cause, I think he cud have gone to India or any other place where he can get a decent job. He doesn't have any right to take others life at all. May be he didn't want his family to suffer in others rights, he took them all away. I was totally surprised to hear from an Indian family such issues. Very sad indeed.....
Hillgrandmom..thats how I feel.
deepsat..so true.
pria..yes it was so sad.I felt really sad for the wole family but especially for the 19yr old.he was on a full scholarship to UCLA,he would have gone on to become someone and would have helped the family.I think it was his ego,he did not want his family to think that he had messed up the finances.
omg this is so sad! And that too Desis in US? so shocking!
My policy is that if Im frustrated and I wanna die, I'll die alone. Why take someone else's life too!!! SO SELFISH n UNFAIR.
Keshi.
Unemployment can make ppl go into Depression...but why kill the whole family?
Keshi.
Come to think of it, alot of ppl these days live superficial lives...the moment they cant live upto that superficiality, they just snap.
This story is one such example...he had a top job and now he was unemployed...and mebbe that lead to unpaid bills and heavy mortgages...frustration sinks in...death n destruction seemed better than life. Why? all cos of trying to live upto Society's demands.
Thats why I dun go and do things that I cant AFFORD to do.
Keshi.
The man is not worthy of sympathy starry.! Life is a sinusoidal curve with ups and downs. Only cowards attempt suicide! Period!
Now if suicide wasn't enough, he goes about killing people, which is even more irritating. Where on earth did he get a gun.? Why is it so easy to procure guns in the U.S? Has it caused any peace so far. There are killings everywhere at the drop of a hat because of that.
Sad! Sad! Sad!
Hi Starry!
I love the title of your post because to me the title question suggests an answer too -- 'could be'
and I liked your post too..becuase it suggests people to look at options for life..
I read the LA news here in Economic Times y'day...Sad, but perplexed...
In India hundreds of farmers die every year, some killing their families too,..or its joint decision to die...
Money is at the root of their problems too...But they seem so hopeless in this world, living at the mercy of Nature and governments...But they never looked at other options--perhaps too naive and uneducated they were for the world...
But this man who killed himself and family for reasons of a man-made crisis...does he deserve our sympathies-- i can't say, dead need no sympathies afterall!
see you again!
devika
The Socio-Political Onlooker and Certain Kind of Woman have few new ones..and they miss you...You'd once been there promising to come again...please do come when you have time!
Absolutely no, none have right to take other lives, but for some lived in more money struggles without. I think its fear brought to killing than bending down before this society without money. Its eternity to accept anything comes by, more than money life is precise isn’t, thus money matters important than people in society which should change. Nothing comes at end, except people.
Very sad and shocking news!
Keshi I have to agree with you on all your comments.you don't have to live like your neighbors or have things that you cannot aford, and it is OK not to have.I think he could have been honest with his family and should havestarted all over again.he was still young.
srijith.You are rght, it is the coward that attempts suicide,I am against Guns and it is so easy for people to buy guns.I wish the laws would change.
Devika,thanks and I do think maybe not the love of money but the thought of not having too much or greed for more eventually made him desperate.But to take the lives of his whole family is just unforgivable.
jeevan..yes people come first then money.we have no right to take some one elses life.
yes Starry I agree totally wit wut u said.
It is OK not to have! So true.
alot of ppl think that HAVING alot of things in life is the BEST life ever. But HAVING courage and strength to face dire situations in life is actually the BEST life that anyone can ever have. we often forget that.
Keshi.
I can't see your other blog. It is light blue on white. I can only read it if I highlight it.
very sad news, read it her ein the papers, someone said he was a high strung personality. But whatever it was, suicide is never a solution, and killing ur whole family is a heinous crime.
I hate this type of cowards, who cant face the failure in life. Its life and not always a bed of roses, one must be prepared for the good and bad both.
This situation arrives in the life of many people, and more when people live byond their means or do little savings.
The solution lies only in saving for a rainy day
sad. But what we may not be aware is that he could have been in serious debt. In that case, even if he kills himself sparing his family, they have to face the heat. where does "selfish" come here?
//he was still young and could have worked again and made up the loss ,I don't know what made him do what he did,//
This is not some petty debt that people are finding themselves in, but astronomical sums they can't recover, no matter how hard they try.
Its troubled times, now.
Hi Starry... I am fine.. How are you?? Good to see you again... :D
It's sad, but personally I feel it could have been avoided provided he thought rationally. I dont think any one has the rights to take the life of anyone... As you said there are so many things to do than taking lives...
KK :)
**but personally I feel it could have been avoided provided he thought rationally
however rational thinking dun happen when ppl r in depression.
Keshi.
i don feel sorry for him for the same exact reason.money is but when has it not been?
u have been tagged:)
Had read about this. SAD. I think money is the root of all problems, but nobody has the right to kill his/her children.
An all-american tragedy! Given the present day economic crisis I wonder how many such tragedies will come to be!
i'm sorry to hear this. a man who took lives of others
and train crashed, could it be even worse? i think it is the money that causes the root. it is always have to do with the money in any given situation.
hope you're doing well!
He must have felt like a complete failure both as a husband and as a father by not being able to properly support his family. We will never know why he felt he had to take everyone with him. Such a tragic terrible thing for anyone to do.
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