Inset: Shanika Battle (Dallas County Jail). Background: The residential area near where Battle is alleged to have shot and killed her adult daughter in Dallas, Tex. (Google Maps).
In a tragic turn of events in Texas, a domestic argument spiraled into violence, leading to the arrest of a woman who allegedly shot and killed her own daughter. The altercation reportedly began over a dispute regarding an alcoholic beverage, as detailed by local law enforcement.
Shanika Battle, 49, faces a murder charge as confirmed by Dallas County court records. The incident unfolded on a Monday afternoon at a home located on Green Cove Lane in the southwestern part of Dallas, claiming the life of 28-year-old Tabatha Jones, as per the Dallas Police Department’s report.
Police were called to the scene shortly before 4 p.m. following reports of a shooting. According to an initial police report, the victim and her alleged assailant were familiar with each other, adding a layer of personal tragedy to the situation.
Remarkably, it was the victim, Jones, who managed to dial 911, informing dispatchers that her mother had shot her in the side. This crucial detail is documented in an arrest affidavit accessed by Dallas-based Fox affiliate KDFW and ABC affiliate WFAA.
Due to the proximity of law enforcement already attending to a nearby call, officers were able to respond swiftly. Upon arrival, they found Jones in her bedroom, suffering from a gunshot wound, as outlined in the official affidavit.
Authorities arrived within minutes due to already being on a call roughly a block away from the scene of the crime, police said. Responding officers found Jones on her bed in her room suffering from a gunshot wound, according to the affidavit.
The younger woman was taken to a nearby hospital where she eventually succumbed to her injuries, according to law enforcement.
Both women were in the residence — and were the only people there — when police arrived, the affidavit says. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found a pistol in the living room near the older woman”s purse along with a .380-caliber fired cartridge casing in the hallway outside the victim’s bedroom, police said.
In a subsequent interview, Battle allegedly told investigators her daughter was upset because she had taken her daughter’s alcohol.
The mother went on to say Jones then began “going into rooms that aren’t hers,” the affidavit says. This purported behavior led to an argument between mother and daughter, police said.
There is some dispute over whether the argument ever became physical. However, the defendant allegedly did admit to owning the gun found at the residence, police said. Battle also allegedly said she removed the gun from her purse in an effort to “scare” her daughter — but was adamant she did not shoot her, according to the affidavit.
The defendant is being detained in the Dallas County Jail with no bond.
