A 17-year-old Indian-origin teenager has been charged with killing his mother and younger brother at their home in Acton, Massachusetts, after an overnight search ended with his arrest early Wednesday.
Arjun Aravind, a student at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, faces two murder charges along with counts related to assault and battery, unauthorised use of a vehicle and motor vehicle theft, officials said.
Mother and brother found dead
The incident came to light on Tuesday evening after a tutor arrived at the family's Martha Lane home shortly after 6:30 pm for a scheduled appointment. Unable to enter the house, she contacted Aravind's father, who also could not reach his family and subsequently asked police to conduct a welfare check, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.
When officers arrived, they found 45-year-old Sudha Venkatesan and her 14-year-old son Siddarth Aravind dead inside the house. Venkatesan was found in the basement, while Siddarth was found on the first floor.
Both victims had "obvious trauma", officials said. The exact cause and manner of death are yet to be released by the Chief Medical Examiner. Investigators are also working to establish what weapon, if any, was used.
Aravind's father had last seen his wife in the morning before leaving for work. Siddarth was reportedly last seen around noon.
Teen fled in mother's car
Police said Aravind was not at the house when officers arrived. His mother's Honda Accord was also missing, prompting authorities to begin searching for him.
The vehicle and Aravind were eventually located in Wayland early Wednesday after local police responded to an unrelated alarm at a parking lot. He was taken into custody without incident, officials said.
The teenager had reportedly left the Acton property in his mother's car following the killings, according to investigators.
ChatGPT searches under investigation
The investigation also uncovered what authorities described as concerning online behaviour. According to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office, Aravind had been using the internet and ChatGPT to explore violent ideas involving his family.
"The subsequent investigation indicates that Arjun (Aravind) had recently been demonstrating concerning behaviour, including using the internet and ChatGPT to make searches for theoretical ideas or fantasies regarding killing his family," the statement said.
The office said Aravind had also asked the chatbot to help create "Gothic novel-kind of stories," including questions and characters.
Aravind was expected to appear in Lowell Juvenile Court on Wednesday. Since that court cannot hear murder charges, he is expected to face the murder and related assault charges in Concord District Court.