Of the homicides worked by the Oxford Police Department this year, two were the result of domestic violence incidents in which a gun was involved.
OPD and other local law enforcement agencies respond to domestic violence calls more often than most people realize. This year alone, OPD has responded to 119 domestic violence calls, which resulted in arrests or charges filed and 395 disturbances that were domestic related.
On Oct. 19, the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic violence call in which a man and a woman were arguing. Before deputies even arrived on the scene, they learned that a firearm was involved.
According to the dispatchers, the woman kept asking the man to give her the gun.
When deputies arrived, they discovered that two others, ages 16 and 19, were barricaded inside the house in their rooms. The man was in the house as well. Officers encountered the woman outside and, according to the sheriff’s office, immediately began negotiating with the “white male subject to let the kids go and for him to come outside without the weapon.”
The department says that during negotiations, the man pointed his gun at deputies who fired their weapons, shooting the suspect. The man died as a result of those injuries, and the young people who were barricaded in the house were taken to a safe environment. The investigation is now being handled by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations.
This instance is exemplative of two things: how guns often cause instances of domestic violence to become deadly and how domestic violence has the potential to impact individuals beyond the immediate actors. An overwhelming number of domestic violence incidents negatively implicate people beyond the spouses, including children and oftentimes law enforcement.
The acting definition of domestic violence is violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner. Though this in and of itself has the potential to be deadly, the presence of a gun in the home elevates the risk. According to the American Journal for Public Health, a woman is five times more likely to be killed when her abuser has a gun in the home.
Overall, gun violence between intimate partners has risen over the past decade. An Oxford man shot and killed the mother of his children in April — though the incident remains under investigation as Justin Maurice Morris, 33, awaits trial, the incident was believed to be domestic in nature.
Some have called for further action to reduce the likelihood of guns falling into the hands of abusers, such as restricting individuals who have been charged with domestic abuse from purchasing firearms.
Mississippi currently does not have any provisions of that sort. Felons cannot purchase or own firearms in the state, however, domestic violence is typically charged as a misdemeanor unless the incident caused an injury or involved a deadly weapon or child victim. According to OPD Administrative Lt. Hildon Sessums, in the case of a domestic related arrest, it is usually part of the bond release to not be around or purchase firearms.
While it seems like an ultimately hopeless situation, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of domestic disputes becoming deadly.
“The basic rule is to recognize controlling behaviors whether a firearm is in the picture or not,” Sessums said. “Always make a report since the violence seems to increase with every incident. And it’s always a good idea to learn basic firearm safety.”
Correction: Based on information supplied by the Oxford Police Department, an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that OPD had worked only two homicides this year and that both of them were instances of domestic violence where a gun was involved.
