By A 27-year-old United States–based Nigerian man, Chukwuebuka Eweni, is in police custody after allegedly stabbing his father and two sisters on Tuesday night, in an attack that left his father, Samuel Eweni, dead.
According to WWL Louisiana, a local outlet in the United States, family members who declined to speak on camera confirmed that Samuel Eweni was a computer science professor at Southern University at New Orleans.
Relatives said the victims were stabbed by Chukwuebuka, the son and brother of those attacked.
One of the sisters had been discharged from hospital, while the other remained hospitalised as of Wednesday afternoon but is expected to survive.
According to family members, Chukwuebuka had a long history of mental illness but had never shown violent tendencies.
They described the evening as an ordinary one at their home on Pebble Drive until he suddenly grabbed a knife. They said they do not know what triggered the incident.
After the attack, relatives said they later learnt that Chukwuebuka went to New Orleans East Hospital, where he frequently sought mental health assistance.
Unaware of the crime, the hospital transferred him to a facility in Jefferson Parish. Authorities tracked him to that location and took him into custody on Wednesday morning.
Chukwuebuka is now facing one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
On Wednesday afternoon, Southern University at New Orleans released a statement on Samuel Eweni’s death:
“Dr Eweni was more than an educator — he was a mentor and a guiding light to so many of our students,” said Dr Joseph Bouie, Jr, Chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans.
“His contributions to the College of Business and Public Administration, and to the university’s mission of transforming lives through education, will be remembered and celebrated. Our hearts are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this deeply difficult time.”
(WWL Louisiana)
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