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Cases of domestic violence do not just affect the members of a single household. When domestic violence spirals out of control, the results can have a devastating effect on a number of people throughout the community.

This was the case recently in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when a 21-year-old man allegedly charged into a home with a gun and shot and killed three women, all of which were pronounced dead at the scene. The alleged gunman also wounded another individual, a male, in what law enforcement dubbed a case of domestic violence.

Of the three slain woman, one was an ex-girlfriend of the alleged shooter, according to a friend of the woman. The friend told reporter the former couple had a history of domestic violence.

The home where the incident played out belonged to a 76-year-old woman, who was one of the victims. The third victim was the elderly woman’s 18-year-old granddaughter.

The friend told reporters the 19-year-old ex-girlfriend filed a complaint against the man the week before, claiming he took her 2-year-old daughter from a relative’s house. The complaint angered the man and he told his ex-girlfriend to withdraw it. Two weeks before the bloody confrontation, the man approached the same home and started to pour gasoline around the perimeter. He fled without setting it on fire.

Many members of the neighborhood turned out following the incident to grieve and voice their condolences for the slain and injured. After the brief investigation, police issued an arrest warrant for the man. He later surrendered to authorities. He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. Aside from the criminal charges, victims of this man’s alleged crimes may seek compensation for the deaths of the women. The man injured in the shooting may also benefit from contacting a personal injury lawyer in order to get justice in this case.

Source: Baton Rouge Advocate, “Suspect in triple homicide surrenders to Baton Rouge Police,” Sept. 11, 2011