"Far too often, domestic incidents lead to tragedies like this" the police observed.
Trigger warning: The story contains details of domestic violence that might be distressing to some readers.
There are many cases of domestic violence in the US and even when someone is able to walk away from an abusive partner, there is sometimes no respite. Some people are not lucky enough to be able to leave their bad past lives behind.
One woman in Ohio was fatally shot while she was working at a Bob Evans restaurant on April 16th, as per People. The 38-year-old Canton resident was waiting on the six to eight people who were dining at the establishment. Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls about an active shooter at the restaurant near Route 62 in Canton around 9.30 am. When police officers reached the scene, they realized that only one person was shot: Rebecca Jean Rogers.
Customers had taken cover under their tables during the shooting, according to Canton Police Chief Jack Angelo. The officers reached within minutes but the shooter had fled from the back door. Police officers found Rebecca shot in the hallway of the eatery. She had suffered from multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead.
Rebecca was a mother-of-four who grew up in Orange County and graduated from Goshen High School, as per Daily Voice. She had moved to Ohio many years ago.
Police were able to identify the shooter as Richard James Nelson. Rebecca saw the 54-year-old Richard arrive inside the restaurant with a gun and she ran into the hallway, where she was shot, as per WTKR. There were between six to eight employees inside as well as around the same number of customers when the shooting took place. The police chief said that the matter was a "domestic incident" between a girlfriend and a boyfriend. After the shooting, crisis counselors arrive to speak to the patrons and employees who witnessed the tragic incident.
"There was a history of domestic violence in their past," said Jack, as per People. "Far too often, domestic incidents lead to tragedies like this," he added.
The couple had recently separated, as per Daily Voice. A GoFundMe has been started to raise funds for her funeral and to take care of her kids.
The shooter was captured the same night around 8:30 pm. He was tracked to East Canton, where he was detained. Richard has been charged with aggravated murder but has not yet entered a plea to that charge.
Disclaimer: If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
References:
https://people.com/crime/waitress-bob-evans-restaurant-killed-front-coworkers-customers-shift/
https://ca.gofundme.com/f/help-for-rebecca-rogers-kids-and-bills
Cover image source: GoFundMe
