Montgomery, AL: Police: 1 injured, 1 killed in shooting

By Matt Okarmus

A Montgomery man shot a woman three times Wednesday morning before shooting and kill ing himself, according to the Mont gomery Police Department.

The 34-year-old woman, who police have declined to identify, survived the incident. She initial ly was taken to Baptist Medical Center South where she was listed in critical condition, but her con dition has been upgraded to stable. She was later transferred to Jack son Hospital, according to Keith Barnett, a police spokesperson.

Officers responded to a domes tic violence call shortly before 10 a.m. in the 200 block of Townsend Drive. Upon arrival, they witness ed a man produce a handgun and shoot a woman three times in the torso before turning the gun on himself, according to Maj. Huey Thornton.

The man later was identified as Samuel Jones, 26, of Montgomery. Reports state Jones died after shooting himself in the chest.

Thornton said the victim and suspect had been dating and that the shooting resulted from a do mestic dispute.

Wednesday's shooting joins a growing list of domestic violence-related deaths in the Montgomery area.

Recently, police investigated a situation in which police said a woman stabbed to death a 22-year-old man during an alterca tion. Thornton said at the time that it appeared the woman was acting in self-defense.

Justin Harris of 330 Gardendale Drive was pronounced dead short ly after arriving at the emergency room of Jackson Hospital, accord ing to reports.

"I'm heartbroken when I hear this news," said Melanie Beasley, a spokeswoman for the Family Sunshine Center, a non-profit or ganization that serves victims of family violence in Montgomery, Autauga, Elmore and other sur rounding counties.

Beasley said that just during the past several months there have been about nine domestic violen ce-related deaths in Montgomery, Butler and Lowndes counties.

She wants the public to know that there is help available.

"If someone they love is hurt ing them, they can contact the Family Sunshine Center," Beasley said. "They can call, and we can talk them through the situation."

Beasley said someone in a po tentially dangerous domestic situ ation needs to try and recognize periods when the danger is great est. This can be when a person threatens to leave the person abus ing them or during situations in which drugs or weapons are in volved, she said.

Steve Searcy, the director of the yet-to-open Family Justice Center, said there is information about when times are most dangerous, but sometimes victims run out of time before they have an opportu nity to find out about it.

"Eighty-five percent of deaths in domestic violence situations happen when the victim is at tempting to leave," Searcy said. "That's when they need to be in contact with professionals that can give them help."

The Family Sunshine Center's 24-hour hotline can be reached at 800-650-6522.