Cali man murders ex-wife but survives suicide attempt
Domestic violence to blame for another senseless tragedy
Estranged ex-husband shoots ex-wife to death and attempts suicide at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, CA
As concerns over gun violence continue, shots rang out in a California mall on Saturday as a man gunned down his ex-wife and then attempted suicide, sending crowds of people dashing for cover and running towards the doors.
“We heard commotion, people running to the opposite end of the mall yelling ‘Shooter!'” said Leo Juarez who was working at a jewelry store inside the Oaks shopping mall.
The LA Times reports, that police found a 30-year-old woman dead from a gunshot wound with her ex-husband laying critically injured beside her with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He was taken to a local hospital.
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Detectives reviewed video surveillance and discovered the man acted intentionally.
“It appears that that was his purpose in going there,” said Sgt. Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.. “He didn’t linger or shop.” The woman was an employee at the Paper Source stationary store.
The man started an argument with the woman, police say, and then opened fire. The names of the victims are being withheld until the families are notified.
The increase in gun-related violence has the nation on edge just weeks after a massive school shooting in Parkland, Florida ended with 17 people dead and city-wide protests calling for stricter gun laws.
According to authorities the Oaks Mall incident was an “act of domestic violence,” but that doesn’t ease the minds of the people who work there.
Samantha Castle, who works at GameStop inside the mall, said she’s always been concerned that an incident like this could happen at the mall. On Saturday, she said she witnessed throngs of people running toward the door and then police ran by, with rifles in hand – racing toward the courtyard.
Castle said she secured herself inside the store and lowered the electronic gate and hid there for more than an hour until it was all clear.
It’s unclear whether the shooter had criminal record but Buschow said a handgun was located on the scene.
Georgia town requires residents to be gun owners
While it’s unclear if the Oaks Mall shooter carried the gun legally or not, in Kennesaw, Georgia, residents are technically required to own a gun because of a local law, according to CNN.
The controversial law says, “every head of household residing in the city limits is required to maintain a firearm.”
The mayor, Derek Easterling, believes the measure will serve as a deterrent to criminals.
“If you’re going to commit a crime in Kennesaw and you’re the criminal—are you going to take a chance that that homeowner is a law-abiding citizen?”
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When the law was enacted in 1982, “It was meant to be kind of a crime deterrent,” said Lt. Craig Graydon. “It was also more or less a political statement because the city of Morton Grove, Illinois, passed a city ordinance banning handguns from their city limits.”
Opinions on gun laws feel very personal
As the gun debate rages in Washington DC and legislators push for stricter gun laws, resident Wayne Arnold supports the law and was proud to share with CNN that he has an arsenal at home. Among the weapons he owns are an AR-15-style .223 caliber rifle, a variety of handguns.
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“It gives me the ability to protect myself as opposed to being somewhere where you weren’t allowed to have a firearm or it was frowned upon,” explains Arnold.
However, even though the law is on the books, it’s not being enforced.
Kennesaw, Georgia, reportedly has about 33,000 residents and has had only one murder in the last six years.
