Police Report: 72-Year-Old Woman Allegedly Shoots Son Due to Loud Video Game Noise

A 72-year-old woman in Arizona reportedly shot her adult son amid an argument over the noise from his video game, wounding him in the stomach and sending him to the hospital after he became too loud, as stated by police and prosecutors.

Hazel Benson, a resident of Mesa, was taken into custody on Saturday night, accused of shooting her 38-year-old son during a heated domestic dispute at her home near Higley Road and Main Street, according to court records accessed by local NBC affiliate KPNX.

The Mesa Police Department reported that they responded to the incident at approximately 8:50 p.m. on Saturday and discovered Benson’s son suffering from injuries that were not life-threatening. He had been shot once in the stomach. Benson is now facing charges of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, and the illegal discharge of a firearm within city boundaries.

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Benson allegedly told investigators that she fired the gun and then threw it into a canal afterward. She said the two had been fighting, with her son going for a walk to “calm down” before returning to find Benson blocking the door.

Benson allegedly shot her son as he lunged toward her with “his hands in fists,” according to KPNX. She allegedly told police she was not sure whether she fired once or multiple times, the station reports.

Authorities say officers were called to Benson’s home prior to her son’s shooting for another service call earlier in the night, during which Benson described being frustrated over the noise level, KPNX reports, citing Mesa Police.

Benson is facing aggravated assault charges, disorderly conduct and discharge of a firearm within city limits. Mesa is about 20 miles southeast of Phoenix.