A 57-year-old mother of four lost her life yesterday morning after being shot at her home in Antsahameva Ankatso. The main suspect, well known to the victim, is reportedly the partner of her daughter and an active-duty soldier. He is currently being questioned by investigators after being brought to the gendarmerie by his superior officer.
Merchants near the house, which also serves as a shop, reported hearing raised voices but paid little attention. "It wasn't really loud. A woman came out of the house, then something burst, without much noise. The man came out afterward. Shortly after, the children announced their grandmother was seriously injured inside," they testified.
The victim's daughter, who rushed home, discovered her mother lying in a pool of blood. "We didn't imagine it was a gunshot, let alone that this man could have done such a thing. He left calmly, without trying to flee," witnesses added.
Local authorities were alerted and arrived at the scene, followed by law enforcement. According to initial findings, a dispute broke out between the soldier and his partner. The mother, attempting to calm the situation, became involved in the altercation with the man. Three shots were reportedly fired in this context. One projectile fatally struck the victim in the right eye.
The mother leaves behind four children. For her daughter, the suspect's partner, this tragedy compounds another loss: she had lost a child in June.