Ji Min Sha Purdue University Student Allegedly Murdered His Roommate in Dorm Hall – A college student who allegedly murdered a roommate and then called police on himself said he loved his family as he was brought to jail.
The Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office said victim Varun Manish Chheda, 20, died of homicide from “multiple sharp force traumatic injuries,” according to WLFI. The alleged motive for this slaying is unclear. As police escorted suspect Ji Min Sha, 22, handcuffed to the local jail, he told reporters, “I love my family.”
Chheda, a junior at Purdue University, was a data science student.
“He was unbelievably good at everything he did,” said a staffer for The Purdue Exponent, a student newspaper. “I didn’t even process it when I saw his name until I said it out loud. I just had a flashback to science bowl in middle school.”
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Ji Min Sha Purdue University Student Allegedly Murdered His Roommate in Dorm Hall
The staffer and victim knew each other since middle school and stayed in touch despite going to different high schools. They competed against each other for Science Bowls. Chheda’s team went to nationals in eighth grade.
“I just remembered his [family] used to come to all of his tournaments,” the staffer said, choking up. “He was really, really good at it − like unbelievably good. I thought for sure he was Ivy-bound. He was one of the smartest people I knew.”
The pre-K through 12 institution Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, Indiana, mourned Chheda, a former student, in a post Thursday.
“We are extremely saddened by the tragic death of Varun Chheda, Park Tudor class of 2020,” they wrote. “We extend our deepest condolences to the entire Chheda family. Park Tudor counselors are available to assist any members of our community who may require support; please keep the Chheda family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Sha was reportedly a cyber security student, originally from South Korea.
Somehow, things got to where Chheda was fatally injured in their first-floor dorm in McCutcheon Hall. Sha reportedly called police at about 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday and was arrested on a murder charge.
#BREAKING: Purdue University Police Department Chief Lesley Wiete confirms the suspect is student Ji Min Sha. Sha made the 911 call to police. Right now Wiete did not confirm if any weapons were recovered. Chief Wiete says it was “unprovoked and senseless.” @FOX59 @CBS4Indy pic.twitter.com/yUE6doVUvB
— Michael Van Schoik (@MichaelVan_News) October 5, 2022
“I write to let you know that early this morning, one of our students was killed in his residence hall room,” University President Mitch Daniels said. “The suspect, the victim’s roommate, called police to report the incident and is in custody.”
“We do not have all the details yet,” Daniels said. “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.”
Contributions in Chheda’s memory can be made to Riley Children’s Foundation, according to WTHR.
Purdue University student arrested for murder of roommate in residence hall; services set for victim
The Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 20-year-old Varun Manish Chheda of Indianapolis.
Purdue University police are investigating the homicide of a student at a residence hall overnight.
The student was identified as 20-year-old Varun Manish Chheda of 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.
Ji Min “Jimmy” Sha was just brought into Tippecanoe County Jail. He’s the suspect in the murder of his roommate Varun Chheda in their dorm at Purdue. I asked him if he had anything to say and he said “I love my family.” @FOX59 @CBS4Indy pic.twitter.com/EDNcQX73Mh
— Eric Graves (@ReporterEric) October 5, 2022
A suspect — Chheda’s roommate — made the call and is in custody. There is no threat to the community, the university spokesperson said. A preliminary autopsy Wednesday found Chheda’s cause of death was determined to be multiple sharp force traumatic injuries.
Chheda was a junior at the university and studied data science. He was also in the Purdue Honors College.
An obituary for Chheda said he ” loved the sciences, was very inquisitive and his passion for any subject matter was contagious.”
He was a National Merit Scholarship Award Winner and a national runner up in the Science Bowl Competition in 2016.
A visitation for Chheda will be held Sunday, Oct. 9 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Leppert Mortuary – Nora, 740 East 86th St, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Varun’s memory may be made to Riley Children’s Foundation.
Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete identified the suspect as 22-year-old Ji Min Sha, a junior who is studying cybersecurity at Purdue. Police said Sha is an international student from South Korea.
Sha is being held on a preliminarily charge of murder. As he walked into the Tippecanoe County Jail, Sha twice said, “I love my family.”
Police are still trying to work out a possible motive for Chheda’s murder. They said it’s under investigation.
According to Wiete, both students were awake at the time of the incident in their first-floor dorm room, and Wiete said she believes the crime was unprovoked and senseless.
“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,” Purdue University President Mitch Daniels said in a statement sent to students and staff Wednesday morning.
As police investigated the incident, nearby students in McCutcheon Hall were moved to another area.
Chheda was remembered at a vigil Wednesday night at the Purdue Unfinished P. It’s a fitting place for the vigil. According to the university, the Unfinished P is a symbol that is meant to remind people to keep their Purdue experience close at heart, not just for themselves, but for all those who, for various reasons, didn’t get the opportunity to complete their Purdue experience.
Unfortunately, Chheda was one of those students.
This was Purdue’s first on-campus homicide since January 2014, according to the university. Classes also continued as scheduled Wednesday.
Purdue’s Counseling and Psychological Services department (CAPS) has clinicians available for walk-ins and will provide crisis support for students who need it, a university spokesperson said.
An investigation into the homicide is ongoing.
What we know about Varun Chheda
Dennis Bisgaard, interim head of school at Park Tudor, confirmed Chheda graduated from the private school on Indianapolis north side and released the following statement:
The entire Park Tudor community is incredibly saddened by the tragic loss of Varun Chheda, Park Tudor class of 2020. Our prayers are with his family at this difficult time.
Chheda attended Sycamore School from kindergarten through eighth grade, graduating from the school in 2016.
Sycamore School released the following statement to 13News about Chheda:
Varun was a brilliant student, funny, and well liked by his classmates. He possessed admirable character traits that stemmed from a strong family.
He was a member of the Sycamore Science Bowl team that finished 2nd in the nation in 2016 and 8th in the nation in 2015 at the National Science Bowl competition in Washington, DC.
Varun earned 1st place in the State Science Olympiad Competition at Indiana University in 2015 for his presentation in the Environmental Chemistry category. He was also 2nd in the state in the Solar System division.
He was a four-year member of the Sycamore MATHCOUNTS team and also earned first place honors in the state Concurso Académico Spanish competition in 2015 and 2016.
What we know about Ji Min Sha
13News has learned Sha is a 2019 graduate of Lighthouse Christian Academy.
The school released the following statement to 13News:
Our community is deeply saddened by recent events, and we grieve with the friends and family of Varun Chheda. Currently, we are cooperating with the local law enforcement investigation of the case.
Mitch Daniels’ full statement
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.
Sincerely,
Mitch Daniels
President
