A man has been arrested and held on a $1 million bond after police say he fired a weapon while drunk and drugged, leading to his pregnant wife accidentally shooting herself and losing their unborn child.
Luis Marcano-Marcano, 41, was taken into custody following the Sunday incident in Mint Hill, Mecklenburg County, after allegedly discharging a firearm while impaired by both alcohol and narcotics. During the incident, officers say his wife wrestled the gun away from him and accidentally shot herself in the stomach, “killing the unborn baby.”
The woman, who was seven months pregnant, has not been publicly identified. Police reports as of Monday had not confirmed her current condition or whether she had been hospitalised.
A judge ordered Marcano-Marcano to be held on the $1 million bond, citing the gravity of the circumstances and describing him as “a danger to the public.” The judge noted that he had thrown the weapon into nearby woods following the shooting, obstructing the investigation, and underscored that he had introduced a firearm into the situation with fatal consequences.
In addition to the bond, Marcano-Marcano was placed under an ICE detainer due to pending warrants in Venezuela, according to court documents. He has been charged with discharging a firearm within city limits.
As of Monday, he was not facing murder or manslaughter charges in connection with the loss of the unborn child. However, under North Carolina law, a person can be charged with murder in relation to the death of a fetus, leaving open the possibility that additional charges could follow as the investigation continues.
The exact location of the shooting within Mint Hill had not been confirmed by authorities at the time of reporting.
The case has drawn attention both for its tragic circumstances and for the legal questions it raises around fetal homicide statutes and firearm accountability. Investigators have not yet indicated whether charges beyond the current firearm discharge count are being considered against Marcano-Marcano.
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