Suspected mentally ill man hacks three to death in Mungwi

A suspected mentally challenged 21-year-old man has reportedly gone on a violent rampage and hacked three people to death in Musenselo Village of Chief Makasa’s Chiefdom in Mungwi District of Northern Province.

Northern Province Police Commanding Officer, Lucky Munkhondya, confirmed the incident, which occurred on January 17, 2026, stating that the suspect attacked the victims for unknown reasons.

She identified the deceased as 83-year-old Shimpange Benasha, 95-year-old Elena Chibwe and a 16-year-old female.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that on the material day around 08:00 hours, Benasha was left alone at home in good health by his son, Davies Mubanga aged 55. Upon his return, Mr Mubanga heard a child screaming that his grandfather had been hacked with an axe,” Munkhondya said in a statement on Tuesday.

Upon rushing home, Mubanga reportedly found his father unconscious and saw the suspect fleeing the scene with an axe.

He later received information that his grandmother, Chibwe—who lived about 120 metres away—had also been attacked by the same suspect.

She was found alive with deep head injuries but died as arrangements were being made to take her to a health facility.

Munkhondya said further investigations revealed that the suspect had also attacked and killed Mubanga’s 16-year-old niece, who lived about 120 metres from the first victim’s house.

“Members of the community mobilized and managed to apprehend the suspect before informing the police, who rushed to the scenes of crime and conducted physical inspections on all three bodies,” she said.

Police recovered an axe with a broken handle and blood stains at one of the scenes, and the suspect is in custody as investigations continue.

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