Man Shoots Girlfriend, Dog In Domestic Violence Incident, Then Turns Gun On Self

Date Added: February 25, 2017 3:30 pm

 Andrew Gant
 Public Information Office

MAN SHOOTS GIRLFRIEND, DOG IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENT, THEN TURNS GUN ON SELF

A violent domestic disturbance Saturday afternoon in a home near Daytona Beach sent one woman to the hospital with a gunshot wound and left her attacker dead of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. The shooter also shot and killed a family dog that intervened in the incident.

Volusia County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene at 1488 Old Kings Road after the shooting was reported via 911 call around 1:06 p.m.

Witnesses told deputies the suspect, 37-year-old William J. Cox, pistol-whipped his girlfriend, 31-year-old Candice Hall, during an argument. The family dog intervened by attacking Cox, and Cox responded by shooting and killing the dog.

Cox shot Hall in the abdomen, and she ran from the house to escape. Then Cox turned the gun on himself, firing a fatal shot to his head.

Hall was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where she was in surgery and in critical condition later Saturday afternoon.

The 911 call in this incident is available at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxh0hPdRKCtbMk8zcm82SUllS00.