Domestic Violence Leads to Salon Shooting

In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a father was concerned about their children’s welfare, and decided to take to the hair salon where their wives worked. On September 11^th, they drove to Cost Cutters. The man shot and killed his wife’s co-worker as she was sitting in her car. The shooter harmed the patrons in the salon that day, but one father removed his children from their babysitters at gunpoint. The fiasco was terrifying, but was essentially a portrait of a father who wanted to protect his children at all costs.

The man's wife was not present at the time of the shooting, and he barricaded himself in the salon and took his own life as a result. In many of these horrible shooter cases, child custody, divorce, and other family matters are to blame. The police are not sure what domestic violence case drove this shooter to a salon in South Dakota, but they are certain that the man was trying to take back his children from their mother’s custody at the time. When people are caught up in emotional turmoil over losing custody of their kids, it can lead to irrational actions like shootings.

Sometimes a parent isn’t able to think clearly through the grief of losing his or her children, and will turn to violence in order to prove protection. Yet reality isn’t like the movies, and gunfire is more likely to land a parent in prison than as the guardian of his or her children. If you are involved in a custody case, don’t turn to domestic violence in order to try and get your way. Instead, keep calm and hire family lawyer who can help argue for you in court. With the right representation, you may be able to get custody of your children after all!