LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – The man charged with shooting the
president and vice president of his homeowners association has made threats in the past. Mahmoud Yousef Hindi, 55, is charged with murder, assault and seven counts
of wanton endangerment after he opened fire in the Spring Creek Homeowners
Association meeting Thursday night.
Neighbors said he moved into the neighborhood two years ago
and they tried to reason with him, but said they eventually gave up. No one
thought he would be in jail for killing one of their neighbors and trying to kill
another during a Homeowners association meeting.
A cement slab and a fence appear to be the two items that
got Hindi upset with the Spring Creek Homeowners Association. "It's just sad
for everybody," said a neighbor who didn't want to be identified.
Neighbors said Hindi, a doctor who practices in Indiana,
came to the meeting Thursday night at Springdale Community Church with about
nine others. They said he sat there like everyone else and about 10 minutes
into the meeting, shot the president and vice president, Dave Merritt and
Marvin Fischer.
"Those guys he shot they are always keeping an eye on the
neighborhood. They're retired and always walking around saying hi to
everybody," said the neighbor.
Based on what neighbors had to say, Hindi didn't want to be
told what to do. "He started tearing up the grass and all that trying to build
a second driveway. Tried to tell him you can't do that. (He said) it's my
property, I can do whatever I want."
One of Hindi's family members and one of the victims went
before the city Development Review Committee in May to discuss that slab of
cement. The city ruled it was not allowed, but the half driveway was only one
issue. "He put the fence in the front yard and you can't do that. It was a six
foot privacy fence, so that's in the regulations."
The fence has now been moved to the back, but in a letter
sent to an attorney last year, Hindi said his neighbors were spying and he
would shoot any trespasser or even kill to protect his kids. "We never thought
he would do something like that," said the neighbor.
Police said Hindi gave them a description of what happened
and when asked, said he confessed to the shootings. He's due in court Saturday
morning.
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