Lithonia, Georgia – A tragic incident unfolded inside a store in Lithonia, Georgia, where 25-year-old Indian-origin Vivek Saini, a Master’s student in the US, was brutally killed by a homeless man, Julian Faulkner. The shocking attack, captured on camera, showed Faulkner repeatedly striking Saini with a hammer. Saini, who worked part-time as a store clerk, had asked Faulkner to leave, triggering the deadly assault.
Employees at the store revealed that they had been providing shelter to Faulkner for nearly two days, offering him food, a drink, water, and a jacket due to the cold weather. Despite Faulkner’s previous presence, they did not ask him to leave earlier. However, when Saini insisted, Faulkner viciously attacked him with the hammer as he left for home, hitting him approximately 50 times on the head.
Vivek Saini, who had pursued a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Chandigarh University before going to the US for a Master’s in Business Administration at Alabama University, was described as a brilliant student seeking a decent job to support his family. Described as a tragic loss, Saini’s family shared that he had been giving cigarettes to Faulkner, but on the fateful day, he refused, leading to the tragic turn of events.
Vivek Saini’s cousin, Simran, described Faulkner, the assailant, as a “drug addict and a psycho.” Saini’s body has been repatriated to India, and his last rites have been completed. His grieving family, particularly his parents, Gurjeet Singh and Lalita Saini, are struggling to cope with the profound loss and are not currently able to discuss the details of the tragic incident.
The police arrived at the scene to find Faulkner standing over Vivek Saini’s body with the murder weapon. Saini was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving a devastating impact on the community and his loved ones. The tragic loss of a promising young student has sparked outrage and calls for justice as the community mourns the senseless and brutal attack.