Two people have died and their adult child was flown to an out-of-area hospital in what authorities described as a domestic shooting in southeast Columbus Wednesday night.
Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant identified the victims as Willie Lee Hull, 43, and Tasha Hull, 41. He said the couple were married but were not living together at the time of the shooting.
The shooting occurred outside a home on Poplar Street, where Merchant said Tasha Hull was living, at about 9 p.m., Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton said. Investigators believe there was an argument, and Willie Lee Hull shot Tasha Hull and their daughter. When asked if Willie Lee Hull shot himself, Shelton said investigators don’t know for sure.
“We’re not even half a day into it yet,” Shelton said. “There are still some things that need to be done. It’s daytime, so we’re going to go back out to the scene. … We’re going to get some more witness statements. Right now we’re just doing a death investigation. We know it was a family dispute.”
Shelton did specify investigators found a weapon at the scene and said authorities are not searching for a suspect “at this time.”
Tasha Hull died at the home, and Willie Lee Hull died later at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle. Their daughter, who Shelton did not name but said is about 18 or 19, has been flown to another hospital for further treatment.
“This being a domestic situation, we just ask family members, if you see something (or) someone needs counseling, just get some help,” Shelton said. “Domestic violence situations can be very volatile and wind up with somebody getting seriously hurt.”
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