A 34-year-old Pennsylvania man has been arrested for allegedly killing his septuagenarian in-laws, shooting them just hours after their daughter served him with divorce papers and locked him out of his house.
Xiaomin Fei was arrested on Tuesday and charged with two counts of criminal homicide, recklessly endangering another person, and possessing an instrument of crime, as well as one count of burglary in the deaths of Robert and Gretchen Ackerman, authorities said.
Fei’s wife and two children were present during the alleged murders, but they were unharmed.
According to a news release from the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office, officers from the Palmer Township Police Department responded to a residence on Glasgow Way around 7 p.m. on June 3, 2025, for a report of a domestic disturbance in progress. The house is in a 55-and-older neighborhood.
When first responders arrived, they reported finding the front door wide open and a male, later identified as Fei, “standing there holding a hand gun.” After defying several verbal commands, authorities said Fei complied with orders to put down the handgun. He was taken into custody without incident.
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As officers entered to clear the house, they discovered two adults on the main floor, both of whom appeared to have gunshot wounds. The male, later identified as Robert Ackerman, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the female, later identified as Gretchen Ackerman, died on her way to a local hospital.
Police then discovered two unharmed young children, both under the age of five, in another room of the house. Fei was arrested and transported to the Palmer Township Police Department for processing.
Court documents obtained by The Morning Call revealed additional details about the alleged murder.
According to the report, the dispatcher overheard people screaming, children crying, and what sounded like two men arguing. One of the men, presumably Robert Ackerman, was heard yelling, “Think about what you’re doing.” The other man, presumably Fei, said, “I’m not thinking.”
Fei’s wife reportedly called 911 again, telling the dispatcher that her husband was at home and attempting to kill her and their children.
Fei reportedly told police that he was angry with his wife after she served him with divorce papers earlier that morning.
Fei told police he became enraged because later that day, his wife, her parents, and their two children were inside his home but refused to let him in. He claimed his in-laws had “locked him out” and “kept his children away from him,” according to NBC affiliate WCAU in Philadelphia.
Fei reportedly went out and bought a handgun that day, just hours before allegedly killing both of his in-laws.
After purchasing the firearm, Fei returned to the house, smashed a window pane on the front door with a hammer, and then opened fire, killing both Robert and Gretchen Ackerman. He allegedly admitted to seeing his wife and two children before shooting his in-laws.
Fei is currently incarcerated in Northampton County Prison without bond. He is set to appear in court again on June 18.
