WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida man is behind bars after investigators say he shot several members of his family before making outrageous statements to first responders.
Thomas Faferko-Schmedes (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
Thomas Faferko-Schmedes, 29, is charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder after allegedly opening fire at his home, hitting his grandfather, mother, brother and a family friend.
Deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene near Royal Palm Beach on Tuesday for a report of a shooting. As one deputy neared the scene, he saw a man with a gunshot wound to his neck and shoulder area. That victim allegedly told officers that his brother, Faferko-Schmedes, who he said is schizophrenic, had shot his mother and grandfather after a verbal argument.
A second deputy responding to the scene was stopped by a pickup truck carrying the suspect’s mother. Faferko-Schmedes’ mother had superficial gunshot wounds to her chest and neck and told officers that her son had shot her and other members of the family, police said.
Inside the house, deputies said they found Thomas Faferko, Faferko-Schmedes’ grandfather, unresponsive and suffering from “at least” one gunshot wound to the head.
A victim at the scene, identified as a friend of the family, allegedly told officers that Faferko-Schmedes’ mother had commented that her son “was having a mental health issue and threatened to kill the family.” The friend suggested that “the threat may not have been taken seriously, because of Thomas Farfeko-Schmedes’ history,” police said. The friend had been visiting the house and had gone into the bathroom when she told police she “suddenly began hearing gunshots from outside the bathroom. She ran out, and saw Thomas Faferko-Schmedes armed with a ‘big a— gun’ and he was indiscriminately shooting at everyone inside of the residence.”
Outside the residence, deputies said they saw Faferko-Schmedes armed with a shotgun; he was immediately told to drop the weapon and put his hands in the air. “Thomas Faferko-Schmedes complied with the orders, but began immediately claiming that he was the victim. He also made an unprovoked statement to the effect of, ‘They touch little kids,'” deputies wrote in their report.
Once in custody and seated in the back of a deputy’s cruiser, the defendant “rambled constantly, making unrealistic and unrelated statements,” deputies said. “He claimed that he was special forces in the military, he liked police officers and was cooperative with them, then claimed that he killed police officers. He also claimed that he was a doctor and a surgeon and then made statements about the people in the house hurting people and animals.”
Detectives declined to interview Faferk0-Schmedes “due to his rambling and outlandish statements.”
Online records show that Faferko-Schmedes is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail without bond. He is due back in court on July 23.
