Purdue University Student Killed In Dorm Roommate In Custody

A student at Purdue University is facing murder charges after his roommate was killed at a residence hall on campus.

Authorities received a call about the death in McCutcheon Hall on Wednesday around 12:45 a.m., according to Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete.

Ji Min “Jimmy” Sha, 22, an international student from Korea majoring in cybersecurity, was taken into custody and held on a preliminary charge of murder.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Wiete said Sha “is the one who made the call and alerted us to the situation” but did not reveal further details.

The victim was identified as 20-year-old Varun Manish Chheda. The Indianapolis student was a senior at Purdue University studying data science.

A preliminary autopsy determined Chheda died from “multiple sharp force traumatic injuries,” and the manner of death was a homicide.

However, the final autopsy is pending until the coroner’s office receives toxicology results. Authorities have not shared information regarding a possible motive.

Weite said Sha and Chheda were both awake when the incident occurred in the dorm room. “I believe this was unprovoked and senseless,” Write said.

Due to the police investigation at McCutcheon Hall, students nearby were moved to another area.

Purdue University President Mitch Daniels addressed the incident in a statement on Wednesday morning.

“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,” Daniels stated.

“Our Purdue University Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation of this incident so that we all may learn more about what transpired.”

The university will also provide counseling and psychological services for students in need of crisis support. Classes on Wednesday were held as scheduled following the incident. The investigation remains ongoing.

Chheda’s death marks the first on-campus homicide at Purdue University since January 2014.