A beloved Utah teen is dead in what authorities say was a murder-suicide perpetrated by his doctor’s father.
On Saturday, police in Salt Lake City discovered the bodies of Parth Gandhi and his 16-year-old son inside an office complex where Gandhi worked, per a news release. The son has been identified by loved ones on a GoFundMe page as Om Moses Gandhi.
According to his website, Gandhi was a neuropsychologist who also specialized in psychedelic therapy at Salt Lake City Psychedelic Therapy and Research.
While the manners of death of the pair were not disclosed, KSL-TV, citing police, reports the murder-suicide involved a firearm.
Pending the autopsy reports, police also said it was unclear if psychedelics were used prior to the killings.
The GoFundMe page describes the teen victim as a beloved brother and son who “always looked out for others.”
“Friends knew he was genuine in his caring. He endured years of witnessing the abuse of every kind imaginable, yet in the quiet strength of his soul, he cared most about protecting his younger sister and his mother,” the fundraiser description reads.
Om loved camping and kayaking with his cousins. “He taught himself to play the piano, played the bass clarinet and drums, and was a gifted saxophone player. Sadly, Om had his saxophone in hand the day he was senselessly murdered,” the description continues.
Citing court documents, KSL reports Om’s parents were in the middle of a lengthy custody battle when he was killed. His mother, Leah Moses, said Gandhi was abusive.
“My son Om’s death was preventable,” Moses said in a statement shared by the National Safe Parents Organization, per the outlet. “The family court system professionals ignored my pleas for help to keep my son safe.”
“My son’s father persuaded everyone I was the problem, when in fact I was just trying to protect my child. I never want this to happen to another family, to another child. If the courts would listen to and believe survivors, this nightmare could stop,” Moses’ statement said.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.