Guns in the wrong hands connected to half of domestic violence homicides in Oklahoma

A large portion of that figure comes from the number of fatal domestic violence cases in the state, according to the most recent report from the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.

Of the 32 women killed by men in 2013, more than 50 percent were the suspect’s wife, ex-wife or dating partner. A firearm was the cause of death in about half of Oklahoma’s domestic violence homicide victims.

Between 2006 and 2014, 147 people in Oklahoma — including 28 in Tulsa — were fatally shot by a spouse, former spouse or dating partner, according to self-reported FBI and law enforcement data compiled by The Associated Press.

People with felony convictions, misdemeanor domestic abuse convictions and permanent protective orders are barred by federal law from purchasing or owning guns, and more than a dozen states have taken additional steps to keep guns away from domestic abuse perpetrators. As of this legislative session, Oklahoma isn’t one of them.

“It’s a difficult situation (to legislate) probably in any state,” said Donna Mathews, associate director of the Tulsa-based Domestic Violence Intervention Services. “When there is a protective order against somebody, who’s going to take the gun?”

In Oklahoma, authorities will remove weapons from a home if there’s a chance they were involved in a domestic violence incident, but state law indicates that can only occur when the suspect is arrested at the same time.

If someone who can otherwise legally own a gun and obtain a license to carry becomes ineligible following a criminal case or protective order, the license is subject to suspension or revocation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, but there is no standard statewide procedure on the books governing the timely surrender of firearms.

Mathews said a judge notifies defendants of the surrender requirement when issuing a protective order, as the defendant will be considered in violation of federal law. But a 2013 New York Times investigation into the issue found that the law as it relates to protective orders was rarely enforced.

Tulsa cases

Statistics the Tulsa Police Department provided to the Tulsa World indicate 37 people were killed with guns in domestic violence cases between 2006 and 2014, including victims who weren’t killed by a romantic partner, such as siblings and children. Homicide Sgt. Dave Walker said the cases he has investigated, with female and male victims, show a pattern of abuse in the past.

On Jan. 31, 2015, 61-year-old Charles Harring was fatally shot inside his home at the Melrose Apartments, 6309 E. Ninth St. Carolyn Gist, his wife, faces a first-degree manslaughter charge in his death.

Police said Gist told them she and her husband had been arguing all day and that she got her gun so he “would know she was serious” about her decision to ask him to leave. She said she fired at Harring by accident after he “dashed” at her, records show.

In that case, the couple had a history of domestic dispute calls at their home and were living together despite having a protective order in effect.

In October 2014, police arrested Robert Tillotson in the shooting death of Beverly Stratton, the mother of his child, which police said occurred during a domestic dispute. Tillotson, who had previous convictions on domestic violence charges, was sentenced May 1, 2015, to life without parole for Stratton’s murder.

“When domestic violence turns to murder, there was usually an opportunity for intervention from government before it escalates to murder,” Walker said. “Very rarely do we see a situation where the suspect kills family and then himself that there is not some indicator that could have led to (an) intervention.”

Legislative efforts

OSBI Self-Defense Act statistics show nearly 350 handgun license applications were denied in the state between 2006 and 2015 based on at least one of the following: a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction, a violation of the Oklahoma Protection from Domestic Abuse Act or an active protective order against the applicant.

But while gun-rights advocates and victims’ advocacy groups appear to agree that more needs to be done to protect domestic violence victims, there is still debate on how best to enact laws that allow for broad Second Amendment freedom while also proactively reducing those crimes.

The National Rifle Association has generated backlash over its lobbying efforts against most gun control measures in the U.S., which included fighting against a 2015 domestic violence bill in Louisiana that the group said had overly broad definitions of terms such as “dating partner.”

An NRA spokeswoman did not comment specifically on Oklahoma laws but said bills aimed at protecting domestic violence victims are being discussed all over the country.

“The best approach to protecting victims of domestic violence is to stop abusive behaviors and ensure victims have the ability to protect themselves,” spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen said. “There is no evidence that simply taking away people’s guns without a fair hearing makes the victims any safer. ...

“We should focus on laws that ensure a victim of domestic violence has every opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to self-protection. That means doing away with restrictive gun laws that do nothing to stop abusers and only leave the law-abiding citizens defenseless.”