[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A Texas man shot his girlfriend to death for traveling out of state to get an abortion.
As you may know, Texas banned abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy in September 2021. However, the important healthcare option was halted in the state ever since Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer, except for cases of a medical emergencies. This meant that Gabriella Gonzalez was forced to travel to Colorado to receive care. And even though the 26-year-old exercised her right to get an abortion, she was killed by her 22-year-old boyfriend, Harold Thompson, when he found out.
According to a press release shared by the Dallas Police Department, Gabriella got into an argument with the suspect at a gas station parking lot on Wednesday that soon turned violent after he discovered she had an abortion the night before. An arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Associated Press stated:
“It is believed that the suspect was the father of the child. The suspect did not want (Gonzalez) to get an abortion.”
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Surveillance footage showed that Harold attempted to put Gabriella in a chokehold in the parking lot, but she shrugged him off. That’s when he pulled out a gun and shot his girlfriend in the head. When Gabriella fell to the ground, he shot her several more times. Law enforcement was dispatched to the parking lot at around 7:40 p.m. – and she sadly was declared dead at the scene. This is so, so horrific. While Harold fled the scene at the time, he was arrested and charged with murder last week. The Dallas Police Department said:
“Dallas Fire and Rescue responded and Gonzalez died at the scene. The investigation determined the victim had argued with a man prior to the shooting. Further investigation identified Harold Thompson, 22, as the man who shot and killed Gonzalez.”
Law enforcement noted in the affidavit that Gabriella’s sister – identified as Mileny Rubio – was at the scene and heard the shooting. Another person witnessed Harold trying to choke his girlfriend but was unable to call the police since she didn’t have a cell phone. Mileny told NBC5 on Saturday that she saw what happened while she was driving nearby to take her boyfriend to work, recalling:
“I heard gunshots and immediately knew it was her and when I looked back, it was her. She was on the floor. I was in shock. I couldn’t touch her. I couldn’t move. My body froze. I just called my mom and I couldn’t even explain to her.”
We cannot imagine what this family must be going through right now. Her family claimed Gabriella also ended their tumultuous four-month relationship when the shooting occurred. Mileny noted:
“He was so angry that she wanted to get away from him. She would always tell me that she wanted to leave, but that she couldn’t.”
In addition to the murder charge, Harold was charged with assault of a family/household member/impeding breath or circulation – which stems from a March police report, the Associated Press reported. The affidavit revealed that a woman, who was not named, told officers that Harold “beat her up multiple times throughout the entirety of their relationship,” and he said the woman was pregnant with his child at the time. The records reported that the unidentified woman “reiterated that she is scared of the suspect because he had made threats to harm her family and her children.”
Gabriella’s mom told NBC5 in Spanish that the family submitted a domestic violence report in March – but the Dallas Police Department never reached out to them despite multiple attempts to get in contact:
“I looked at her beaten, he no longer let her talk to anyone, he took everything from her. He took his phone, he managed everything for her. She was scared.”
Ultimately, the family told the outlet they believed Harold killed Gabriella “out of revenge for getting an abortion.” Heartbreaking. At this time, he is currently being held without bond in the Dallas County Jail. Our hearts just break for this family. We hope they get some justice for Gabriella’s death.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/. To learn more about the impact of gun violence, visit https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence.
[Image via Dallas County Jail, NBC News/YouTube]
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