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Purdue University student, 20, killed by roommate in ‘unprovoked’ attack as residents wake up to screams

Varun Manish Chheda's roommate Ji Min Sha was held as a suspect when Chheda was found dead in his dorm with 'multiple sharp force traumatic injuries'

WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA: Early on Wednesday, October 5, a 20-year-old Purdue University student was found dead in his dorm room, and his roommate has been taken into custody, according to school officials. Senior data science major student Varun Manish Chheda was discovered dead in his room at McCutcheon Hall, a residence hall on the campus of the university in West Lafayette, Indiana, after the suspect called 911 to report the incident at 12:44 am local time, Purdue University Chief of Police Lesley Weite said at a news conference on Wednesday, October 5. 

Ji Min ‘Jimmy’ Sha, a junior studying in cyber security, is the suspect and is being held on a murder accusation, according to Weite. She revealed that he is a Korean international student. No other roommates lived with the victim and suspect, Weite added. She said, "I believe this was unprovoked and senseless. Our hearts go out to the victim and his family and friends. I can't even imagine what his family is going through." Meanwhile, according to ABC News, with the suspect in custody, a university spokeswoman declared that "there is no threat to the community."

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According to the DailyMail, Residents at the hall recalled that they were woken up in the middle of the night by a "scream or some loud noises." The student died of "multiple sharp force traumatic injuries" and the manner of death was a homicide, according to preliminary autopsy results reported by NBC. However, the final autopsy findings are pending toxicology, the coroner’s office said. Purdue University President Mitch Daniels issued a statement saying, "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."

Arunabh Sinha who went to school with Chheda described him as “a really smart guy, always top of his class, top of the chess club, science bowl team. He was really humble about it.” According to Sycamore School, which Chheda attended from kindergarten to eighth grade, he won first place at a state Spanish competition in 2015 and 2016 and took top honors for a presentation in the environmental chemistry division at the State Science Olympiad Competition at Indiana University in 2015. His Sycamore team placed seventh in 2015 at the National Science Bowl Competition in Washington, DC, according to the institution, as reported by WTHR. According to Sycamore, the squad finished second the next year. 

Chheda graduated from Park Tudor School, a private school in Indianapolis. “The entire Park Tudor community is incredibly saddened by the tragic loss of Varun Chheda, Park Tudor class of 2020. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time,”  Dennis Bisgaard, the school’s interim head said. Chheda was also remembered on a school alumni Facebook page on Wednesday, October 5, who noted that he attended Sycamore School from kindergarten through eighth grade. Diane Borgmann, Sycamore’s head of school wrote, “We will miss him. Varun was a brilliant student, funny, and well-liked by his classmates. He possessed admirable character traits that stemmed from a strong family.”