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Iraq War Vet Charged In Reseda Shooting That Killed Neighbor, Critically Injured His Wife

VAN NUYS (CBSLA.com) — An Iraq War veteran accused of fatally shooting a neighbor and critically injuring the victim's wife was charged Tuesday with murder and attempted murder.

Ricardo Javier Tapia, a former Marine said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, is accused of shooting 73-year-old Giam Kim Hoang and his wife, Hoang Thi Nguyen, in a Reseda apartment complex.

Residents said 32-year-old Tapia was married to the building's manager and performed handiwork around the building.

The shooting occurred just after 6:40 p.m. Friday. Authorities said Tapia, armed with a gun, forced entry into the victim's apartment and shot them both for reasons that remain unclear.

Officers with the LAPD's West Valley unit said they arrived at an apartment in the 7500 block of Canby Avenue and found the couple with gunshot wounds. In another apartment, they said they found Tapia bleeding and acting irrationally.

Witnesses said Tapia was screaming "Hitler" and "Obama" and "terrorism" moments after the shooting.

Tapia's wife told CBS2's Art Barron Saturday that her husband was recently placed on a new medication that caused him to "snap."

Tapia is scheduled to be arraigned January 9 on one count each of murder and attempted murder. He is being held in lieu of $4 million bail.

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(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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