A community in New Orleans is reeling after U.S. authorities detained a 27-year-old Nigerian man, identified as Chukwuebuka Eweni, for allegedly killing his father and injuring his two sisters during a violent outbreak at their home on Pebble Street.
Police said the late Samuel Eweni, a respected computer science professor at Southern University at New Orleans, was found with fatal stab wounds when officers arrived at the residence on the night of November 11.
Two adult women, later confirmed to be his daughters, were rushed to hospital with varying degrees of injuries.
Investigators described the scene as “deeply disturbing,” adding that the suspect fled the area shortly after the attack.
According to the New Orleans Police Department, officers eventually traced and apprehended Eweni in Jefferson Parish, where he is currently undergoing medical evaluation under law enforcement supervision.
“This was a heartbreaking domestic incident. The suspect was safely located and placed into custody after coordinated efforts across jurisdictions,” an officer familiar with the operation told reporters.
Family members said the tragedy came without warning. One relative explained that although the suspect had struggled with mental health challenges, there was no prior indication he could become violent.
“No one imagined something this devastating could happen,” the relative said, emphasizing the family’s shock.
Local updates indicate that one of the injured sisters has been discharged and is recovering at home, while the other remains hospitalised but is expected to stabilise.
Authorities said the attack occurred at about 9:59 p.m., with detectives later securing an arrest warrant for one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Police added that evidence from the scene and witness accounts helped quickly identify the suspect.
The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office is set to formally confirm the victim’s identity and determine the exact cause of death following an autopsy.
Moreover, investigators say the case will move forward once medical evaluations on the suspect are concluded.
The incident has sparked fresh conversations in New Orleans about mental health and domestic safety, a reminder that even quiet neighbourhoods can be sites of abrupt, unimaginable violence.