Woman's Ex Fatally Shot Her Mother Who Was Helping Her Move Out, Authorities Say

An Iowa man was taken into custody and accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s mother on Friday while she was helping her daughter move out of his home.

Hamza Smajlovic, 24, was charged with murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon and attempted murder in the fatal shooting of Ruth Sue Ann Robison, 45, according to criminal complaints obtained by HuffPost. The shooting also critically injured Robison’s 52-year-old husband, Tony Robison.

Smajlovic allegedly shot Robison and her husband in the head with a 9 mm pistol, according to the complaints. Authorities also said Smajlovic fired at another person inside the residence, whose name has not been made public.

Ruth Robison, 45, died Friday in a shooting in Des Moines, Iowa.
Ruth Robison, 45, died Friday in a shooting in Des Moines, Iowa. Facebook

Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrived at around 5:21 p.m. on Friday to the scene in Des Moines, where they discovered Robison and her husband with gunshot wounds, according to a news release cited by The Des Moines Register. Robison died at a hospital. As of Wednesday evening, it was not clear whether her husband was still in critical condition.

The sheriff’s office determined the shooting to be a domestic situation between Smajlovic and his 24-year-old ex-girlfriend, Robison’s daughter, according to the Register. Robison’s daughter had just broken up with Smajlovic and was in the process of moving her belongings out of the home with her parents when the shooting occurred, KCCI reported.

Court records reviewed by HuffPost show that the judge ordered Smajlovic to have no contact with his ex-girlfriend. He is due in court for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 11.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

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