Phoenix Shooting is a Cautionary Tale to All Domestic Abuse Victims

By Jenn Jacques

A shooting in Phoenix, AZ on Sunday highlights the need for domestic abuse victims to watch themselves even after leaving their abuser.

It also shows how one former couple and a third party didn’t use very good judgement.

34-year-old Brandon Branch must have still been carrying a torch for his ex-wife when he agreed to meet his former bride early Sunday morning. But there was obviously at least one reason she was his ex-wife, because the former Mrs. Branch didn’t show up alone.

Police say Branch’s ex-wife showed up ‘with a friend’ to confront him about “his domestic issues” in a parking lot in the 3700 block of W. Camelback Road in Phoenix. The friend remained inside the vehicles as Branch and his ex-wife stood outside to talk, but things quickly escalated into a life-or-death situation.

“Branch produced a handgun and pointed it first at victim 1 (ex-wife) while threatening to kill her,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Jonathan Howard said.

That’s when the woman’s friend exited the vehicle and produced a handgun, firing shots shots at Branch and eliminating the threat to his ex-wife. The pair then drove off, fleeing the scene, …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms