Natasha Anderson for Dailymail.Com
Published: December 12, 2021 at 13:35 EDT | Updated: December 12, 2021 at 18:54 EDT
The police are investigating Dimitre Dimitrov who allegedly shot and killed his separated wife MaryAnn Dimitrov (pictured) on Tuesday, and then he committed suicide.
Allegedly, when the two were fighting for custody of their 12-year-old son, a husband shot and killed his separated wife at a badminton club.
According to WECT, 64-year-old Dimitre Dimitrov shot and killed his separated wife MaryAnn Dimitrov outside the Holly Racket Club on Tuesday.
On the same day as the shooting, the court approved Dimitre's application for an extension in the couple's battle for custody of their 12-year-old son.
The Dimitrovs separated in September and are reportedly going through a painful divorce. Court records also show a history of domestic violence disputes in which they claimed to have physically and verbally abused each other.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Wilmington police responded to the club and found Marian, who had two eldest daughters who had previously been related to and had gunshot wounds. The officials performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but despite their efforts, she died on the spot.
Dimitre suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Wilmington police responded to the club and found that Marian had a gunshot wound. The officials performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but despite their efforts, she died on the spot
The Holly Racket Club (pictured) issued a statement confirming the incident and reiterated that Dimitrov is not a member of the club
The police said that despite being at the scene, no children were injured in the incident.
It is unclear whether the couple's son is present.
The squash club issued a statement to the news media to confirm the incident, while reiterating that it has nothing to do with the club-the Dimitrovs are not members of the club.
"The tragic incident at the Holly Racket Club last night was the result of a domestic violence dispute between the husband and wife," the club said.
"The husband shot his wife and then pointed the gun at himself. The victim was not a member of our tennis facility. Our thoughts and prayers are with the surviving family.
Dimitrov was fighting with her separated husband for custody of her 12-year-old son. He allegedly killed her and then aimed a gun at himself
The police referred to the shooting as an "isolated incident" and said their detectives are continuing their investigation.
The death of Dimitrovs occurred when the City of Wilmington reported that there was an 8% increase in domestic violence incidents in 2021 compared to 2020. The police believe that as the holidays approach, more incidents may occur.
Carmen Smith, executive director of Hope Harbor House, a nearby domestic violence shelter, believes that most murders and suicides occur after a long history of domestic violence.
When asked about the Dimitrov family, she told WWAY-TV, "He doesn't make a decision after waking up in one day. Today is this day."
She also pointed out that when the abuser loses power to his partner and feels suicidal, murder and suicide often occur.
"In the mentality of the abuser, they are likely to decide that I want this person, and if I can't have them, I will commit suicide and take them away," she explained.
She also urged victims to seek help and encouraged their loved ones to heed warning signs or threats.
"Listen to them, they said they were going to kill me," she said. "They say they have suicidal tendencies."
According to the National Domestic Violence Coalition, more than 70% of murder-suicides involve intimate partners.
If you or your loved ones are affected by domestic abuse, please call the national hotline 1-800-799-7233 or send SMS LOVEIS to 22522.
The following comments are unreviewed.
The views expressed in the above content are the views of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
By posting your comment, you agree to our house rules.
Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook timeline?
Your comments will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook timeline?
Your comments will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comments and news stories links to your Facebook timeline, and post them on MailOnline at the same time. To do this, we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We will ask you to confirm this the first time you post to Facebook.
On each post, you can choose whether you want to publish it to Facebook. Your Facebook details will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and advertising in accordance with our privacy policy.
Published by United Press Limited
Part of "Daily Mail", "Sunday Mail" and Metro Media Group