Utah Man Kills Woman, Himself in Shooting

[Sean Reynolds]

This has been all over news here in Salt Lake City.

Quite odd if I must say.

Utah Man Kills Woman, Himself in Shooting


SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A man killed his estranged wife Monday morning as she arrived to work at a high school and then turned the gun on himself, police said.

The victims were identified as Marisela Lavalle, 39, and Federico Cervantes-Lavalle, 52. No one else was injured and no students were involved.

Witnesses reported seeing Cervantes-Lavalle get out of his car outside the West High School faculty parking lot about 6 a.m., where his wife, a school cafeteria worker, had just parked, police spokesman Dwayne Baird said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-4127629,00.html

[CO Liberal]

1. I Posted This Story on the Justice/Public Safety Board This Morning

It's the first story on the "GUNS IN THE NEWS" thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118x59748

[Sean Reynolds]

3. Ah, you're good!

:)

MODs can lock if they want.

[Cocoa]

2. does this make him a homicide shooter?

:shrug:

[catzies]

4. Well, I can't speculate since I don't know details, but it's common

So have to generalize. Just looking at it on the surface it would be domestic violence. If they were estranged, maybe she was seeing someone else, or wouldn't let her have access to their kids if there were any.

From personal experience, I had a close call, with a violent, alcoholic ex who threatened to kill me with a "If I can't have you, no one will!" Fortunately he couldn't reach his gun and I got the hell out.

[Sean Reynolds]

5. Just to give you a general idea of where this area is....

It's a few blocks north of the Delta Center.

:)

[Eloriel]

7. It's not at all necessary for there to be a "reason" other than

that she has left him.

yes, this is very, very common in domestic abuse cases. The most dangerous time for women is when they have made a final, resolute decision to leave and their partner gets it that she's definitely leaving.

I get very annoyed with people on this issue -- I've heard local news reports that the police jurisdiction in question (when these happen, and they happen a LOT) "have not determined a motive." Hel-LO. Her LEAVING him is motive enough for far too many abusers.

And murder/suicides of this type isn't at all uncommon.

Heh. I even remember a guy who decided he was going to commit suicide, and set his house on fire with his wife and children in it and left a suicide note saying that he just knew their lives would be miserable without him, so he was pre-empting their misery for them (not his words, of course -- but definitely his reason).

[Free_Thinker]

6. Utah's violent crime rate

Had always been exceptionally low even though one of the highest rates of gun ownership in U.S.

Sean do you have any idea how much the murder and other violent crimes have increased in Utah the last few years?

Curious as to why it would be worse now.

[billbuckhead]

8. Women bear much of the burden of domestic gun terror.

The saddest part of this cautionary tale is that "The Nuts Ruining America" crowd will say that the answer is that women should all go buy guns. Then the men will buy even bigger guns and on and on.

[catzies]

9. True. So as a woman threatened by a man with a gun

I stay away from men I know who have them.