Monday, May 23, 2011

Dad goes on shooting rampage after mom gets "temporary custody" of 9-month-old daughter (Scranton, Pennsylvania)

Notice that the local police coddled daddy JAMES COOPER up until now. Ignored his abuse of his ex-girlfriend, the mother of their 3-year-old daughter. Refused to track him down after the mother (against all odds) managed to get a protection order, only to have Daddy violate it. Nope, they paid more attention to Daddy's paranoid ravings. And now one woman (a witness to the abuse) is dead, with two other persons shot. Um, maybe we can admit that Mom was the one telling the truth now?

http://citizensvoice.com/news/intended-target-mourns-best-friend-1.1150101#axzz1NCk7Hewg

Intended target mourns best friend
By Erin Moody and Bob Kalinowski (Staff Writers)
Published: May 21, 2011

Shaundra Langille knows the bullets were meant for her.

The 28-year-old was embroiled in a heated custody battle with James Cooper, her ex-boyfriend and father of her 9-month-old daughter. He threatened to kill her and arrived at her apartment Friday afternoon to do just that, she believes.

"He just came in and started shooting," she said. "I can't even tell you how many gunshots there were."

A day after Langille was granted temporary custody of their child at a protection from abuse hearing, Cooper barged in her apartment around 3:20 p.m. and opened fire. She hid in a closet with the child, escaping the flurry of gunfire that struck three neighbors, whom police say were innocent bystanders.

While Langille hid with her daughter and a 3-year-old girl from next door, the homicide victim Shana Bagley attempted to call 911, Langille said.

"He (previously) threatened to kill me and threatened to kill Shana because she was an eyewitness when he abused me and (police) refused to do anything about it," Langille said.

Langille and Cooper had filed dueling petitions for protection from abuse orders after an incident May 11 at Langille's home. Both PFAs were granted Thursday, and the pair was ordered to avoid all contact for a year. Langille said Cooper violated the temporary PFA but police did not track him down and arrest him.

"If they would have done something, if they would have picked him up on his violation, he would have been in jail, but they refused to do so," she said.

On May 11, Langille filed a PFA against Cooper, 39, of Scranton, for herself and their daughter. She said Cooper refused to leave her home, and hit her in the head when she picked up a bag of groceries. When police responded, they advised her to get a PFA, Langille said. Langille further wrote that Cooper has been violent before, including choking her, cutting her with a knife and smacking her in the face. When she threatened to call the police in the past, he threatened to kill her or have his family members come after her, Langille said.

Cooper filed on May 13 and said Langille invited him over to help her with child support and other bills. When Cooper did not respond to Langille's questions about her child support payments she became upset, he said. Shana Bagley "edged her on," Cooper said. Langille became violent and started throwing things. When Cooper attempted to leave, Bagley blocked the exit and shoved him, he said.

Cooper also reported Langille previously threatened to kill him and their daughter in their sleep, threatened to poison his food, "lost" two other children in foster care and threatened to give their daughter up for adoption and cut herself and tried to have Cooper arrested.

Langille said she lamented the fact her friend died as a result of the domestic controversy.

"She was there when he hit me," Langville said as tears ran down her face. "She was a witness. She was my best friend."