Raksha Statement on the Domestic Violence Homicide in Cobb County

We mourn the tragic loss of Shital ‘Sheetal” Wrzesien, who was fatally shot at her home in Cobb County on July 7. The investigation is ongoing. Her husband has been arrested and charged with her murder. Her adult son was also shot and survived. We hold him in our thoughts as he recovers, and our hearts go out to the family and friends as they mourn the loss of their loved one.

As an organization that has served survivors for over 30 years, we know that our community is not immune to violence at home, and that fear and stigma can keep people from reaching out for help. The presence of or easy access to a gun makes conflict and violence within families even deadlier. A woman is five times more likely to be killed when a partner has access to a gun, and the largest number of intimate partner homicides in the US involve a firearm. Where there is a pattern of power and control in a relationship, a gun escalates the lethality of that danger.

In general, these risks increase when a protective order does not guarantee guns leave an abusive home, or there is no extreme risk law allowing families or law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone in crisis. That gap leaves survivors, law enforcement, and courts without the means to act on clear warning signs before they turn fatal. When violence enters a home, children carry it too. Witnessing and experiencing abuse leaves lasting trauma that can follow them well beyond childhood.

In honor of yet another life lost, we refuse to normalize this loss as just one odd statistic. We share resources so our community can recognize the warning signs, because intimate partner homicides can be prevented – when families, communities and systems take threats seriously and ensure safety and protection.

Disclaimer: The information and resources we share are for are general education and not legal or medical advice. They are also not intended to be statements of fact about any specific case, and nothing here should be read as describing the circumstances of any particular incident or family.

Understanding the Intersections and Patterns

Domestic violence – which is fundamentally driven by coercive control – is a pattern of behaviors used to establish and maintain power and control over another person. It is a liberty crime designed to strip away the victim’s freedom, autonomy, and independence (NNEDV).

Factors that make interpersonal violence deadly:

Abusive behaviors against family members
Threats to harm or kill themselves or others using a lethal tool
Escalating control and isolation
Harm or threats toward pets/ animals
Talk of suicide
A gun in the home or easy access to one
Loss of a job or financial losses
History of non-fatal strangulation
Recent relationship separation
Stalking behaviors
Jealousy
Sexual assault
Substance use or abuse
Abuse can increase during Pregnancy

In general, these risks increase when a protective order does not guarantee guns leave an abusive home, or there is no extreme risk law allowing families or law enforcement to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone in crisis. That gap leaves survivors, law enforcement, and courts without the means to act on clear warning signs before they turn fatal. When violence enters a home, children carry it too. Witnessing and experiencing abuse leaves lasting trauma that can follow them well beyond childhood.