A 51-year-old woman remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after authorities say her longtime boyfriend shot her in the head in front of her five grandchildren during an argument on the West Bank.
The suspected gunman, Charles Spurlock, 63, was being held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna on a $300,000 bond.
The shooting was reported just before 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at an apartment building in the 2100 block of Highway 90 near Avondale, said Sgt. Brandon Veal, spokesperson for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The couple lived there with the victim’s grandchildren, according to authorities. On the day of the shooting, the couple had been arguing, though it’s not clear what led to the disagreement.
The woman called an unidentified person and asked them to pick up her grandchildren because Spurlock was “becoming aggressive,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Spurlock grabbed his girlfriend and pulled her back into the apartment when she stepped out to speak with the person. She then picked up a lamp and hit Spurlock, according to authorities.
Authorities allege Spurlock backed up from the woman, pulled out a handgun and shot her in the head.
Spurlock was still on scene when deputies arrived at the apartment building. He’d told investigators he shot his girlfriend because she was attacking him, authorities said.
The victim’s grandchildren were not injured, though they witnessed the shooting, according to deputies, who described them as being in a “rattled” state after the violence.
Spurlock was taken to the Sheriff’s Office investigations bureau for questioning, after which he was booked with attempted second-degree murder and obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to tamper with evidence, Veal said.
Editor’s note: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Victims of domestic violence can call the Metro Centers for Community Advocacy 24-hour Crisis Hotline at (504) 837-5400 or toll-free at (888) 411-1333.
