A man has been arrested for killing his pharmacist brother because he believed he was “poisoning people with COVID vaccines”.

Jeffrey Burnham, 46, from the town of Cumberland in the US state of Virginia, is currently being held at the Allegany County Detention Centre for killing his brother Brian Robinette, 58, and his sister-in-law Kelly Sue Robinette, 57, in their home in Ellicott City in the state of Maryland on 30th September.

He allegedly confronted his pharmacist brother over the new coronavirus shots because he believes the US government is “poisoning people with COVID vaccines,” according to documents filed at the District Court of Maryland on Wednesday.

He is accused of shooting the pair dead as well as murdering an elderly friend of his mother, named as 83-year-old Rebecca Reynolds, who was found dead in her home in Cumberland the day before (29th September). Reports said she had her throat slit and a pillow was over her face.

The bodies of the suspect’s relatives were found in the hall and a bedroom in their home, and a car Burnham allegedly stole from the elderly victim the day before was found nearby.

The suspect’s mother Evelyn Burnham is quoted as telling the police that her son “confronted Brian based on his profession and him administering COVID vaccines”.

The court documents said the suspect told his mother that he wanted to “confront Brian about the government poisoning people with COVID vaccines and that he repeatedly stated ‘Brian knows something’.”

Evelyn called the police on 29th September because he was claiming the FBI was after him and she was worried about his “mental health and stability”.

A witness told the police that Burnham showed up at the couple’s house in Robinette’s 2007 Corvette at around 4.45pm asking for petrol money.

The witness claimed that Burnham said he would be on TV later, adding that his brother was “killing people with the COVID shot”.

Burnham was arrested in Davis in West Virginia on 1st October 1 and was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Reynolds, two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of his relatives, and one handgun offence.

During a search of his home, the police found an empty box of 40-calibre ammunition for a Smith & Wesson handgun.

He is being held without bond and a preliminary court hearing is scheduled for 9am on 5th November.