Hajir Talebzadeh shoots dead ex wife, Melissa Cui Domingo and her mother, Elizabeth Cui Domingo at Augusta Best Buy parking lot during custody exchange. Domestic incident follows former wife being granted recent ‘self defense’ immunity after shooting husband during years of abuse during their marriage.
A Georgia man fatally gunned down his ex wife and her mother in the parking lot of an Augusta Best Buy store, Sunday early evening during a custody exchange of their 5 year old child.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office says 37-year-old Melissa Cui Domingo and 74-year-old Elizabeth Cui Domingo, both of Evans, died from gunshot wounds.
Shooting comes less than a month after shooter’s ex wife being granted immunity from charges after using gunfire against her former husband
They were pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. twenty five minutes after being first fired upon at 6.12 p.m, by the suspect according to the Richmond County Coroner’s Office.
The suspect, 37-year-old Hajir Talebzadeh, suffered an injury and was transported to Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center, where he is listed as stable. Upon his release from hospital, the suspect who was previously married to Melissa Cue Domingo will be transported to Charles B. Webster Detention Center on warrants for double murder, WRDW reported.
Authorities say the incident unfolded during a custody exchange involving the couple’s 5-year-old child, who was present during the shooting but was not physically harmed.
The tragedy comes less than a month after the suspect’s former wife being recently granted immunity after shooting her then abusive husband in self-defense in 2021 following complaints of ongoing domestic abuse according to the Augusta Press.
Ex wife’s use of force against former husband was protected
The killings occurred less than a month after a Richmond County judge dismissed all charges against Melissa Domingo stemming from the 2021 shooting of Talebzadeh inside their home.
At that time, Superior Court Judge Jesse Stone ruled that Melissa acted in lawful self-defense after enduring years of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. The court accepted expert testimony that Melissa suffered from Battered Person Syndrome, PTSD, panic disorder, and Stockholm Syndrome. Multiple family members testified to Talebzadeh’s violent and controlling behavior, warning that they feared for her life the night she shot him.
Investigators also noted that their residence was filled with unsecured, loaded firearms and that Talebzadeh had been armed during the confrontation. Although he sustained multiple gunshot wounds, he survived the 2021 incident.
Judge Stone ultimately applied Georgia’s ‘transferred justification’ doctrine, ruling Melissa’s use of force was legally protected even if others were unintentionally endangered in the act of defending herself.
Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley provided a statement in the aftermath of Sunday’s tragedy.
‘Our hearts go out to the child who was present during this senseless tragedy. No child should ever have to experience such trauma. As a community, we must come together to support him and others who are affected. Violence is never the answer to our problems—it only leaves behind grief, pain, and broken families. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to working with our community to prevent violence and ensure safety for every resident.’
The couple’s child is now in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.
