A mother in Texas was fatally shot outside of a PetSmart after arguing with another woman who was being impolite. According to the Daily Mail, 41-year-old Cecilia Simpson died from gunshot wounds after the assailant allegedly shot her in Dallas on Tuesday, October 7.
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Mother Shot To Death Outside Of PetSmart After Arguing With Assailant About Manners
Fox 5 reported that Simpson’s 20-year-old daughter told police she and her mother were walking out of Five Below in the same shopping center as PetSmart when the victim held the door open for 22-year-old Keona Zachyua Hampton, the suspect.
Her mother reportedly became upset because Hampton didn’t thank her for holding the door for her. The argument began from there, but afterward the duo went to their car and drove to PetSmart. Hampton also walked to PetSmart, according to the affidavit.
Simpson and her daughter told employees in the store that Hampton was following them. Hampton proceeded to enter the store and continue the argument, this time with the daughter. She eventually left the store, but returned a few minutes later.
According to one witness, the suspect was antagonizing the duo. “The shooter was saying, ‘Come outside. Let’s handle this outside. Let’s fight outside.’ And the mom and daughter were just telling her to like go away,” said the 27-year-old ER nurse.
The dispute got so heated that workers told them to leave the store. In the parking lot, Hampton allegedly threw a bottled drink at the mother and daughter’s vehicle as they were trying to leave.
This eventually turned into a physical fight, the daughter recalling how her mother hit Hampton several times. The mother was yelling to leave them alone, but it didn’t seem to faze Hampton.
Witness Performed CPR On Victim Shot In Broad Daylight
Suddenly, Hampton allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired at Simpson three times. Surveillance footage of the shocking incident showed the suspect fleeing the scene in a black Ford Five Hundred.
The anonymous witness confirmed this as she noticed the situation unfold. “The mother and daughter tried to get in the car to de-escalate the situation but the lady wasn’t having it. They started to fight and that’s when the lady pulled out her gun and shot her,” said the nurse.
She ran to try and help Simpson, managing to perform CPR before emergency responders arrived. It was tough knowing that the daughter witnessed the shooting.
“The daughter was next to the mom the whole time. It’s hard, you know, because the screaming of a child for her mother is never easy and it’s never going to leave my head,” she said.
“I’ve been trying not to cry, but just like, you know, being in high school, my mom was such an important person in my life and she’s the reason I became a nurse. My whole family is.”
It didn’t take long for officers to find Hampton and arrest her around 7:45 PM during a traffic stop. According to Hampton, she confirmed starting and continuing the argument with Simpson and her daughter.
She told police that she was simply “trying to get Simpson away from her” when she shot at her. Officers have now booked Hampton in the Dallas County Jail. They have not set a bond for her yet.