Recognizing the signs: Community resources available for domestic violence
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - This week, a murder-suicide in North Augusta shocked our community.
Authorities say 71-year-old Keith Jones shot his girlfriend, 67-year-old Kathy Hydrick, Thursday morning, and then turned the gun on himself at their home on Walnut Court.
This is the 5th case in the past 15 months in our area in which two lives have been lost and families and friends are left without answers.
While each story is different, and we don’t know the circumstances surrounding this most recent case, there are local groups working to teach others about the warning signs.
There are still questions we are waiting to get answered, and each case is different.
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However, we wanted to go to the experts who hear these stories every day and get a general, broader picture of the signs and trends they see when it comes to abuse cases or cases that could eventually turn into abuse.
The first step is recognizing the signs.
The Cumbee Center in Aiken says recognizing early warning signs of domestic violence, sexual assault or potential murder-suicide is crucial for timely intervention.
Some red flags include: A past pattern of physical abuse, or the presence of weapons or threats involving weapons
According to SafeHomes of Augusta, it’s 500% more likely a victim will be killed if there is a gun in the home.
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“Usually, that can result in the murder suicide,” said Aimee Hall, executive director of SafeHomes Augusta. “And with that, I think the ab’s thinking, well, if I can’t have you, no one can. And so then they, you know, they kill themselves or kill their partner and then themselves.”
And when that happens–
“I always think, what could we do differently? You know, is it a lack of training? Do we need to be out in our community, you know, talking more about this and what those warning signs look like?” said Hall. “Do people really understand that resources are available for them?”
Both SafeHomes and the Cumber Center say to call their 24-hour hotlines.
If you or someone you know is in danger, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
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