Local news reports said Mainak Sarkar, 38, had killed his wife Ashley Hasti at her Minnesota home, before driving to Los Angeles.
According to CBS Minneapolis, they were married in 2011.
Sarkar shot his former professor William Klug, 39, multiple times at a small office in the Engineering Building of the University of California Los Angeles on Wednesday, before turning the gun on himself.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck said Sarkar had plans to kill another UCLA faculty member, but could not do so as he was not able to find him.
"We believe that he went to kill two faculty from UCLA. He was only able to locate one," Beck said yesterday.
He said police found an extra box of ammunition in his Minnesota home.
According to the LAPD chief, Sarkar arrived at the UCLA campus "heavily armed".
"He had a backpack, two semiautomatic pistols and extra magazines. It looks like he was certainly prepared to engage multiple victims," Beck told reporters.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is assisting the Los Angeles Police Department in its investigation.
In a blog post, Sarkar, an IIT Kharagpur graduate, had accused Klug of stealing his computer code and giving it to someone else.
"I urge every new student coming to UCLA to stay away from this guy. He made me really sick. Your enemy is your enemy. But your friend can do a lot more harm. Be careful about whom you trust."
Local media quoted several university officials and students as saying that Sarkar's allegation was not true.
"UCLA says there is no truth to this," Beck told reporters in response to a question.
Klug graduated from Westmont in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in engineering physics, completed a master's degree at UCLA and a doctorate at CalTech.
"We're deeply saddened by this tragic news and send our condolences to his wife, Mary Elise, also a Westmont graduate, and their family," UCLA President Gayle D Beebe said.
"Dr Klug was an excellent student at Westmont who conducted student research with two professors during his college years," Beebe said.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
