A United States-based Ghanaian professor, Kofi Akamani, has been shot dead allegedly by his estranged wife, Betty Akamani, at her home.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at Murphysboro and Carbondale, Illinois on Saturday when law enforcement officers responded to a shooting incident in the area.

Mr Akamani, who was reportedly shot multiple times while sitting in his car in the driveway at the suspect’s house, was immediately rushed to the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale where he was pronounced dead due to sustained injuries.

The Peoples Gazette learnt that Mr Akamani, 48, was a forestry professor at the Southern Illinois University before his death. The couple had been separated for two years, and were in the middle of a divorce.

Following investigation, Ms Akamani was arrested in connection with the incident on Saturday before being charged with two counts of felony first-degree murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child on Monday. 

Heartland news reported that the 35-year-old was arraigned before a court on the same day. She was denied bail at the hearing and subsequently remanded at Jackson County Jail.

Ms Akamani is scheduled to be back in court on October 6 for a preliminary hearing. 

Meanwhile, the Forestry Department at Southern Illinois University has taken to social media to mourn the passing of Mr Akamani, while announcing that a vigil for the deceased has been scheduled for Tuesday. 

“We are grieving the loss of one of our beloved forestry professors, Dr. Kofi Akamani. Dr. Akamani was deeply loved by his forestry family here at SIU and by colleagues across the globe. He had a gentle and kind demeanor and was known for his dedicated work ethic and positive attitude.

“We will dearly miss Kofi. Our hearts go out to all who loved him. A vigil is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 pm at the Ag building front lawn. A memorial will follow at a later date. Please share happy memories below,” the department said in a Facebook post on Monday.