In a horrifying incident in Lithonia, Georgia, a 25-year-old Bharat student, Vivek Saini, was brutally attacked and beaten to death with a hammer by a homeless man he had reportedly been helping. The assailant, identified as 53-year-old Julian Faulkner, was caught on camera carrying out the heinous act.
Prior to the attack, employees at the Chevron Food Mart revealed that Faulkner had been allowed to enter the store for nearly two days, asking for items like coke and chips. The store staff accommodated his requests, providing him with food and even a jacket when he asked for a blanket. Despite Faulkner sitting in the store for extended periods, the employees did not ask him to leave due to the cold weather.
The tragic incident unfolded when Saini, who worked part-time at the store as a clerk, asked Faulkner to leave or face police intervention. As Saini was preparing to leave, Faulkner viciously attacked him from behind, hitting him repeatedly with a hammer—approximately 50 times on his face and head. Another store clerk, who witnessed the horrifying assault, provided crucial camera footage to aid investigators.
Vivek Saini, originally from the Indian state of Haryana, had been in the United States for two years and recently earned an MBA degree. Devastated by the tragedy, his parents, Gurjeet Singh and Lalita Saini, are currently unable to discuss the incident.
The assailant, Julian Faulkner, was arrested on the spot and is now held in DeKalb County Jail. He faces charges of felony murder and interference with government property. Further investigation revealed that officers found two knives and another hammer in Faulkner’s possession during his arrest.
The incident has left the community shocked, as Saini’s colleagues express their disbelief at the tragic turn of events. The investigation continues as authorities work to understand the motive behind this senseless act of violence that claimed the life of a promising young student.
Comments