Arlington Murder ...with witnesses watching?

[Hos]

Wonder why none of these witnesses did anything?

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ARLINGTON -- A woman believed to be in her early 60s has died from multiple gunshot wounds that police said were inflicted early Thursday by her estranged or ex-husband.

The woman was pronounced dead at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth where she was taken following the shooting at her home on Green Acres Circle in southwest Arlington, said Tiara Richard police spokeswoman.

The suspect, believed to be in his late 50s or early 60s, apparently left the scene, drove himself to a south Arlington police station and surrendered, Richard said.

Police declined to release the woman's name until after next of kin were notified.

Officers were summoned at 7:48 a.m. to a report of violence at the home where the woman lived alone.

Witnesses reported seeing the man use a sledgehammer to smash open the woman's front door.

Several neighbors shouted at him to stop and they called police, but he entered the home.

A neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said she was told by other neighbors that a witness saw the man confront the woman in her back yard. The witness yelled over the back fence at the man, telling him to leave her alone.

The neighbor said the man looked at the person yelling at him, then turned to the woman and opened fire with what appeared to be a small-caliber handgun.

Witnesses told police that they saw the man get into a white Lexus sports utility vehicle and leave the area, Richard said.

Descriptions of the suspect and the SUV were broadcast by police.

A desk officer at the South Patrol Station, 1030 SW Green Oaks Blvd., saw the vehicle pull into the parking lot, Richard said. The station is about three miles east of the victim's home.

The desk officer went outside and confronted the suspect, who surrendered, Richard said.

The neighbor said that the victim had asked her neighbors to watch out for her because her husband had been stalking her.

Richard said neighbors told police that they had been looking out for the woman.

The spokeswoman added that police went to the home in April and May to investigate a report of criminal mischief and another one of domestic violence.

It was unclear if the shooting suspect was named in the criminal mischief case, but he was listed in the domestic call, Richard said.

[Grog]

Wonder why none of these witnesses did anything?

Because they are not the police.

[suthdj]

Wonder why none of these witnesses did anything?

Because they are not the police.

That's an excuse not a reason.

[txmatt]

Several people verbally engaged a violent attacker who had a sledge hammer and a gun and these people also called the police. Sounds like doing something to me. Better than in a lot of cases.

[Bart]

Maybe somone on here revoked their Batman License.

[Hos]

Agreed that most ppl are not equipped to stop a violent attacker but when seconds count, I couldn't just watch some older lady get attacked. Esp if I knew beforehand that she'd want my help.

[Fangs]

The neighbor said that the victim had asked her neighbors to watch out for her because her husband had been stalking her.

Richard said neighbors told police that they had been looking out for the woman.

Whole lot of good that did her.

[TexasGal]

They did the very best sheep can do. It was not nothing. There just was not a sheepdog among them or if there was, he had the conviction that being one only applied to his own family.

I was once married to someone who was violent. My neighbors at the time just looked out their curtains one evening while he chased me with a pair of scissors all over the yard. I glimpsed their scared faces as I dodged his lunges. They did not call the police. Nor did they yell at him. They minded their "own" business. He was drunk and soon gave up his pursuit, but if he had cornered me, it would have turned out differently. When it is your life on the line, you sure hope someone nearby thinks he has one of those "Batman licenses" and cares. At the time, it never entered my mind to own or carry a gun. For some reason, women are very inhibited when it comes to defending themselves from a spouse. I can't explain it, but suffice to say I am not that woman now. No one is going to chase me with scissors or anything else again trying to stab me with it.

Her tragic mistake was hoping her neighbors' watching out for her would be enough.
I have said it before and will say it again; Ladies, you MUST face the fact when an aggressor is upon you, YOU are who is going to close enough to save you and the equalizer that has the best chance of saving you is having on your person a good caliber firearm, the training to use it, and the courage to pull the trigger. The victim knew she was in danger and must have hoped the serious concern of her good neighbors would be good enough. Many of them are probably asking themselves what they could have done differently.

[baldeagle]

I'm not trying to make excuses for the neighbors, but I've tried to put myself in their position. I'm not sure that I would have shot the man - at least not until he'd gotten one shot off (which perhaps might have saved her.) Angle would be critical. I wouldn't want to shoot the woman by mistake. Furthermore, if I only threatened to shoot, the man might have gone ahead and shot her right then, which would make me feel like I precipitated her shooting. It was definitely a difficult situation, one I hope never to encounter. I have no doubt that under the right circumstances I would pull the trigger, but it's a weighty decision that should not be taken lightly. Nor should we be too critical of the neighbors. At least they tried to do something.