Every night before going to bed, Laxmi Pariyar talked to her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren living in Virginia, United States.

On June 5, as usual, she spoke with her son Santosh Pariyar and eight-year-old granddaughter Saina via video call at around 10am.

The next day, she heard the news that shattered her world.

Her son Santosh, 38, along with his wife Anju Shrestha, 36, daughter Saina,8, and two-year-old son Om—who was born in the US—were found dead in their apartment in Manassas Park, Virginia.

Originally from ward 8 of Palungtar Municipality in Gorkha, Laxmi is currently residing at Greenland, Tokha, Kathmandu. Since learning of the deaths, she has been unable to eat or sleep.

“They used to say they would return to Nepal soon. Now, I’ll never see their faces again,” said Laxmi, breaking down in tears.

Santosh studied management in Kathmandu and moved to the US with his family in 2017. He had not returned since but often spoke of plans to visit Nepal for a family reunion.

On June 5, the bodies of all four family members were discovered in their ground-floor apartment on the 9400 block of Lanae Lane in Manassas Park.

According to US media reports, police were alerted after the landlord was unable to contact the tenants. Upon entering the flat, authorities found the family dead from gunshot wounds. A firearm was also recovered from the scene. Local police said that an investigation is underway.

Laxmi and her husband Nir Bahadur Damai Khati had applied for visas to travel to the US but were denied. “If only we had been able to see their faces one last time, perhaps our hearts would have found some peace,” said Laxmi. “But now, there’s nothing but pain. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. It’s been nearly two weeks, and we still don’t know what really happened or what we’re supposed to do.”

Their younger son, Subash, who also lives in the US, is currently awaiting decisions on the cremation.

“It costs a lot to bring the bodies back to Nepal. There’s a possibility they may be cremated in the US soon,” said Nir Bahadur. “We told Subash to perform the funeral rites there. We’ll do what we can from here.”

Not being able to see his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren one last time has been especially painful, he said.

“We are in deep sorrow. Even after so many days, we haven’t been able to start the funeral rituals,” he said.

According to Nir Bahadur, police in Virginia have not released any conclusive findings regarding the incident. “We don’t know whether it was a suicide or if someone else was involved. The police told others that the investigation may take more time.”

The deaths of the four Nepali family members have shocked the local Nepali community in the US and left their relatives in Nepal grasping for answers.