Pa. man accused of shooting woman allegedly had book of 'exorcism spells' and prayers
10/25/2023 1:53 pm PDT
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (TCD) -- A 62-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and other charges for allegedly shooting someone in his home and giving conflicting stories about what happened.
According to WPMT-TV, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at approximately 5:30 a.m., Mechanicsburg Police officers responded to the 300 block of West Allen Street after receiving a call about a shooting victim. The victim, who was not identified, was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Police at the scene looked through the residence and located Timothy Zidik, who reportedly claimed he did not shoot the victim. WPMT reports Zidik told officers he did not keep guns in the house and that he had headphones on when the gunshot went off. Officers reportedly discovered blood at the scene, some of which had already been cleaned up, and a Smith & Wesson handgun.
As officers continued to make their way through the home, they allegedly discovered notebooks in Zidik’s room with "exorcism spells, prayers and writing in an unknown language."
WPMT, which cites the affidavit, reports one of the entries says, "Forgive us, criminals of purpose, for the sins that we are force to commit. Mother the merciful, Bless our firearms with your hand, our knives with your foot, and guide our bullets and stabs with the finger that is closest to your heart. May we earn your need and be your wrath amen."
According to WPMT, the victim sustained the gunshot wound at around 1 a.m. She reportedly asked Zidik for help, so he allegedly rendered aid and cleaned the scene. Three and a half hours later, he drove her to the hospital. Police learned about the shooting once she was already admitted to the hospital.
Police reportedly do not believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. The victim reportedly told investigators she does not own a gun, nor did she know of any in the home.
On Oct. 12, one day after the shooting, Zidik was hospitalized with a self-inflicted stab wound. Three days after that, he allegedly contacted the victim and confessed to shooting her but said it was an accident because he put the gun under her mattress.
Zidik allegedly provided conflicting accounts of what happened, including that he was loading the gun and it fired. He also allegedly said the gun went off while cleaning it.
Court records show Zidik ia being charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of attempted homicide. He’s currently in custody at the Cumberland County Prison with bail set at $100,000.
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