A Washington mother is in custody after police officials said she shot her 14-year-old daughter after the girl called 911 for a domestic dispute the mother and girl’s father were having.
Svetlana Laurel, 52, “was holding a Taser, and used it” on her ex-husband inside his house on Smithers Avenue in Renton, according to a police report.
The couple’s 12-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter were both at the house during the incident.
The girl, later identified as Natalie Gulizia, rushed to her bedroom upstairs and called the police.
“The mother found out she was calling 911 and shot her,” Renton Police Department Cmdr. David Leibman told the broadcaster. According to the report, the 911 operator could hear a woman saying “You called 911” and then heard her say something like “blow your head off.”
Then she heard a loud sound followed by screaming.
A Renton police detective told the broadcaster that Laurel’s tirade also involved restraining her ex-husband and 12-year-old son in zip ties. She initially gained entry to the home when the teen was home alone, presenting the boy with Christmas presents that turned out to be old clothes before restraining him.
She put duct tape over his mouth and later removed it, but warned him she would use the Taser on him if he screamed.
‘Deep Animus’
The stunning sequence of events may have stemmed from a custody dispute as the father had full custody of the children at the time of the shooting.Laurel is facing an aggravated murder charge in the shooting death. If convicted, she'd face life in prison without the possibility of parole, per state law.
She’s expected to be arraigned on the charges, which also include attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping, and unlawful imprisonment, in January. She’s being held without bail.
“She was a bright, talented, and extremely well-loved young lady. Her brother Nicky attended Hope through sixth grade and many of our current Hope 8th graders remain friends with him,” senior pastor Peter Mueller and principal Kristen Okaybayashi wrote.
“The circumstances around this are tragic, and there are no adequate words to express the diversity of feelings and thoughts that arise within our souls at a time like this,” they added, encouraging people to turn to their faith.
“It will be an opportunity for us to gather together to express our sorrow, process our emotions, and pray,” the church said on Facebook. “All are welcome.”