Police in Texas say a man shot and killed his brother and his fiancée because he believed they were practicing witchcraft on him.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told KHOUTV Police took 23-year-old Wilman Sandoval into custody in connection with the incident Sunday at the Coronado Park Apartments on Fallbrook Drive at 4 p.m.
Gonzalez said the suspect's 17-year-old brother was shot and hospitalized in critical condition. The suspect's 26-year-old fiancee was shot multiple times and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He added that both are expected to survive.
He said the suspect's brother was trying to get his fiancée to safety when he was shot.
Police were searching the apartment complex to find witnesses to the incident. Gonzalez said there were five family members living in the apartment, but no one else was injured.
Gonzalez said investigators have not yet determined whether the man had a history of mental illness or criminal activity. Police also recovered a handgun from his family at the scene.
Mr. Sandoval was charged with three counts of aggravated assault.
Witchcraft was also at the center of a rape allegation against a Georgia man in February. Hassan Shargheen, 44, allegedly threatened to report the women he sexually assaulted to immigration authorities when they approached him seeking his services as a “witch doctor.”
Six alleged victims came forward and accused Chargin of sexual assault. One said the man forced her to pay $300 for her ritual “cleansing” even though he allegedly sexually assaulted her. Sharguin, who speaks Arabic and Spanish, was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail without bail.
Editor's note: There are reports of inconsistencies as to whether the 26-year-old woman was engaged to the shooter or to the shooter's 17-year-old brother.
Reports regarding this incident are as follows:
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