Crime
Melissa Cui Domingo and her mother Elizabeth Cui Domingo killed after shooting outside Best Buy in Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A woman who was recently granted immunity after shooting her abusive husband in self-defense has now been killed—along with her mother—by that same man in what investigators are calling a domestic-related double homicide.
The victims have been identified as Melissa Cui Domingo, 37, and her mother, Elizabeth Cui Domingo, 74.
Both were fatally shot Sunday evening in the parking lot of Best Buy off Walton Way Extension in Augusta, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO).
The alleged shooter, 37-year-old Hajir Talebzadeh, Melissa’s ex-husband, was the man she shot in 2021 during a violent confrontation and accused of subjecting her to years of domestic abuse.
Authorities say the incident unfolded during a custody exchange involving the couple’s 5-year-old child, who was present during the shooting but was not physically harmed.
The child is now in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.
The first 911 calls were received around 6:12 p.m. Sunday, reporting gunfire at the busy retail complex. Deputies arrived within minutes and discovered Melissa and Elizabeth Domingo suffering from gunshot wounds.
Both were pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. by Deputy Coroner John Rutland.
Talebzadeh was also found injured with a wound of unknown severity and was transported to Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center, where he is reported to be in stable condition. Investigators have obtained murder warrants, and he will be booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center upon release from the hospital.
The killings occurred less than a month after a Richmond County judge dismissed all charges against Melissa Domingo stemming from the 2021 shooting of Talebzadeh inside their home.
At that time, Superior Court Judge Jesse Stone ruled that Melissa acted in lawful self-defense after enduring years of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. The court accepted expert testimony that Melissa suffered from Battered Person Syndrome, PTSD, panic disorder, and Stockholm Syndrome. Multiple family members testified to Talebzadeh’s violent and controlling behavior, warning that they feared for her life the night she shot him.
Investigators also noted that their residence was filled with unsecured, loaded firearms and that Talebzadeh had been armed during the confrontation. Although he sustained multiple gunshot wounds, he survived the 2021 incident.
Judge Stone ultimately applied Georgia’s “transferred justification” doctrine, ruling Melissa’s use of force was legally protected even if others were unintentionally endangered in the act of defending herself.
Sheriff’s officials have emphasized that Sunday’s shooting was domestic in nature and does not pose a threat to the wider community.
“This was a senseless tragedy that unfolded in front of a child,” said RCSO Chief of Staff Lewis Blanchard. “Our hearts go out to everyone impacted, especially the child who will now grow up without both parents.”
Sheriff Gino Brantley also released a statement, saying:
“No child should ever have to experience such trauma. As a community, we must come together to support him and others who are affected. Violence is never the answer—it only leaves behind grief, pain, and broken families.”
The Georgia State Patrol Aviation Unit provided aerial support during the emergency response, using thermal imaging to help secure the scene. Multiple local and state agencies assisted in the rapid deployment.
Talebzadeh is facing multiple counts of murder, and the investigation remains ongoing.
BEND, Ore. — Rhoam Summer, 5, has been identified as the first reported victim of the deadly shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, where preliminary reports indicate that four victims, including three children and one adult, were killed. The 16-year-old suspect also died, bringing the reported death toll to five.
The shooting prompted a major law enforcement and emergency response Thursday afternoon, October 15, 2026, after Bend police issued an active-shooter alert at approximately 1:17 p.m. Authorities described a large police presence at the school and urged the public to avoid the area.
Information provided in preliminary reports indicated that the children killed were ages 5, 8 and 11. One teacher was also reported dead. Rhoam Summer, 5, was identified as the first victim publicly named in connection with the tragedy.
Authorities had not yet released the names of the other reported victims in the information available for this report.
According to preliminary information attributed to federal law enforcement, four victims died as a result of the shooting: three children and one adult. The suspected shooter, a 16-year-old Bend resident, was also reported dead.
This brings the reported total to five deaths, including the suspect.
Reports indicated that two additional people were transported for medical treatment in critical condition. They were described as a 7-year-old child and a 54-year-old teacher.
The reported casualties have not all been independently confirmed through a complete official victim list. Further information from law enforcement and medical authorities is needed to establish the final number of injured people and the conditions of those receiving treatment.
Preliminary reports identified the suspected shooter as a 16-year-old resident of Bend. The teenager was reportedly armed with a shotgun.
Scanner traffic and early reports indicated that a bystander, described as a Good Samaritan and possibly the father of a student, shot and killed the suspect. Reports also described the bystander as someone legally carrying a concealed firearm.
However, the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death, including the identity and role of the bystander, require confirmation from law enforcement. These details should not be considered established facts until officials release an authoritative account.
Authorities had reported that the suspect was deceased, but further verified information about the sequence of events was not available in the preliminary reports summarized here.
Bend police issued an alert at approximately 1:17 p.m. Thursday reporting an active shooter at Silver Rail Elementary School in southeast Bend.
The initial alert provided limited information but warned residents of a large police presence and urged them to stay away from the area. Police, fire crews and emergency medical personnel responded to the school.
The incident triggered urgent safety measures as authorities worked to secure the campus, assess casualties and coordinate the emergency response.
Approximately 10 minutes after the initial alert, police announced that a reunification site had been established at Journey Church, located at 61303 S Highway 97, near Goodwill and Dairy Queen.
Families of students were instructed to go to the designated location to reunite with their children.
Parents also received alerts indicating that nearby schools, including Caldera High School and Jewell Elementary, had been placed under lockdown as a precaution while law enforcement responded to the shooting.
The shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School has left families and the Bend community facing a devastating loss. The reported deaths of three children and one adult, along with the death of the teenage suspect, have made the incident one of the most serious school emergencies reported in the area.
Investigators are expected to establish the sequence of events, confirm the identities of the victims, determine how the shooting unfolded and clarify the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death.