Purdue student killed in residence hall; roommate in custody
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. October 5 2022 The Purdue University Police Department is investigating the death of a student in a residence hall as a homicide.
According to our sister station WTHR in Indianapolis, a university spokesperson said a 911 call came into the Purdue University Police Department at 12:44 a.m. Wednesday morning from McCutcheon Hall. A suspect — the roommate of the victim — made the call and is in custody.
Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete has identified the suspect as Ji Min Sha, 22. Sha is a junior international student from Korea who is studying cybersecurity.
The victim has been identified as Varun Manish Chheda, 20, of Indianapolis. An autopsy is scheduled for later Wednesday.
Wiete says both students were awake at the time of the incident in their first floor dorm room, and she believes the crime was “unprovoked and senseless.”
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels has released the following statement on the matter:
Dear members of our Purdue community,
I write to let you know that early this morning, one of our students was killed in his residence hall room. The suspect, the victim’s roommate, called police to report the incident and is in custody.
This is as tragic an event as we can imagine happening on our campus and our hearts and thoughts go out to all of those affected by this terrible event.
We do not have all the details yet. Our Purdue University Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation of this incident so that we all may learn more about what transpired. As is always the case, staff from our Office of the Dean of Students, our Residence Halls, and clinicians at Purdue’s Counseling and Psychological Services are providing support and are available to anyone who needs or wants their care.
As Purdue’s president, but even more so as a parent myself, I assure you that the safety and security of our students is the single highest priority on our campus. Purdue is an extraordinarily safe place on any given day, and compared with cities of Purdue’s population (approximately 60,000 in all), we experience a tiny fraction of violent and property crime that occurs elsewhere.
Such statistics are of no consolation on a day like this. A death on our campus and among our Purdue family affects each of us deeply.
I am ever grateful to all of you who continually take the time to care for each other and know you will do so in the days ahead.
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels
Officials say there is no threat to the community, but nearby students in McCutcheon Hall were moved to another area while police investigated the incident.
WNDU
