A man has been charged with murdering his neighbour because he thought that he was a Democrat.
The suspect has been named as Austin Gene Combs, 26, and he was charged with murdering his neighbour, Anthony Lee King, 43, in Okeana, a township in Butler County, Ohio, in the US.
Cops were called after King’s unnamed son heard gunshots in the backyard and found King unresponsive and losing blood. The boy, who has not been named, told the police that King had been shot because the suspect thought he was a Democrat.
The boy reportedly told a police dispatcher on the phone: “My neighbour just shot my dad.”
The boy also said that the neighbour “has come over multiple times making statements. He’s insane.”
The victim’s unnamed wife then reportedly told the dispatcher that they had been working in the yard and cutting the grass when she came into the house to let the dog out.
That’s when she said she heard gunshots.
She reportedly said: “I look in the backyard and that man is walking away from my husband, and my husband is on the ground.”
She added: “He has come over like four times confronting my husband because he thought he was a Democrat. Why, why… Please, I don’t understand.”
Combs was taken into custody after deputies were called to the shooting at 11:46am on Saturday, 5th November, and found King dead outside, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Butler County Coroner’s Office said that King had died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Newsflash obtained a statement from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office saying: “Okeana man shot and killed at his home by a neighbor. Sheriff Richard K. Jones reports on November 5, 2022, Austin Combs age 26 yrs. old of Okeana, Ohio was charged with the Murder of his neighbor.
“This stems from an earlier call that Deputies responded to at 2795 Chapel Road located in Okeana, Ohio, for a report of a victim with a gunshot wound. Once Deputies arrived on the scene it was confirmed that the victim was found deceased. This investigation is ongoing and more charges could be added at a later date.” (sic)
Combs was booked into Butler County Jail with bond set at USD 950,000 (GBP 834,000). Combs’ next hearing is on Thursday (10th November).
