Woman shot husband’s head before killing herself, Monmouth prosecutor says

HOLMDEL — Investigators say the Monmouth County couple found dead in the bedroom of their home on Thursday were killed in a murder-suicide.

Asma Hussain, 42, shot her husband Arshad Zarak, 52, twice in the head and then killed herself with a single gunshot at the home on Paddington Lane in the Reserve at Holmdel, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Their bodies were discovered by a teenager who called police around 1:20 p.m. The relationship of the teen to Hussain and Zarak was not disclosed. Neighbors told NBC 4 New York that the couple had three children.

Zarak was found lying on the bed while Hussain was facedown on the floor, according to Gramiccioni. Neighbors told the station they had heard gunshots several hours before police were called.

Zarak was a systems integration specialist for Nuvitel, according to his LinkedIn profile. He had worked there since 2014 after 16 years at AT&T in Middletown. He was also an adjunct associate professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology, according to the school's website. 

The prosecutor said the only weapon found was the gun used by Hussain, which was still in her hands when police arrived.

The FBI's Red Bank Office helped with "crucial translation" during the investigation.

Gramiccioni asked anyone with information about the incident to call the Prosecutor's Office at 800-533-7443 or Holmdel Police at 732-946-4400.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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