Man fatally shoot his in-laws while his kids hid in the next room, cops say
Xiaomin Fei told investigators his wife served him with divorce papers hours before the shooting
A 34-year-old man in Pennsylvania has been charged with two counts of murder after he allegedly killed his in-laws.
Xiaomin Fei, 34, of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, was arrested on Tuesday night and charged with murder, burglary, reckless endangerment and other related offenses, according to NBC 10 Philadelphia.
Fei allegedly shot and killed Robert and Gretchen Ackerman, his in-laws, after breaking into their home around 7pm on Tuesday, according to the Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta. Both of the victims were in their 70s.
When first responders arrived at the home, they found Fei standing in the doorway allegedly holding a firearm. He was ordered to drop his weapon, which he eventually did. Police then took Fei into custody, according to Baratta.
First responders found Robert Ackerman dead on the floor when they arrived, and his wife Gretchen still alive. She died on the way to the hospital.
Baratta said that Fei is a Chinese national with legal immigrant status in the U.S.
Fei's children — ages 4 and 5 — were found hiding in another room inside the house.
Baratta did not provide details as to the mother's location at the time of the shooting.
Fei's burglary charge is related to him allegedly breaking into the locked house with a hammer just before the attack.
Investigators interviewed Fei, who reportedly said that his wife had served him divorce papers earlier in the day, and claimed that his in-laws had locked his children in their house and refused to let him enter.
According to court documents, Fei told investigators that he went to a gun shop and purchased a revolver at about 5pm, just two hours before he allegedly shot and killed his in-laws.
Fei reportedly told investigators that once he had broken into the house, he saw his wife and children inside before he began shooting his in-laws.
The investigation into the killings is still underway.
Fei is being held at the Northampton County prison and has been denied bail, according to court documents. His first scheduled court appearance is for June 18, 2025.