Mother Fatally Shot While Helping Daughter Move Out from Ex-Boyfriend’s Home

A tragic incident unfolded on Friday evening in Des Moines, Iowa, when a mother was fatally shot while assisting her daughter in moving out of her ex-boyfriend’s residence, the Des Moines Register reported. Ruth Sue Ann Robinson, 45, and her husband, Tony Ray Robinson, 52, were both struck in the head during the incident at a home on NW 51st Place, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The couple was at the residence to help their 24-year-old daughter following her breakup with Hamza Smajlovic, 24, who is now accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend’s parents. The daughter, who was inside the home at the time, managed to escape unharmed. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found Ruth and Tony critically wounded. Ruth was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while Tony remains in critical condition as of Monday.

Smajlovic was apprehended the same day at his residence and now faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, and intimidation with a dangerous weapon. In a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, it was detailed that “the defendant did knowingly, intentionally and willingly fire a live 9 mm round into an occupied residence at the victim, while in the commission of a murder and attempted murder of two other victims in the home at the time of the shooting.”

The ex-boyfriend, who reportedly opened fire on the responding deputies as well, is currently being held at the Polk County Jail on a $750,000 cash bond. Authorities have issued a no-contact order between him and his ex-girlfriend.

As the investigation continues, this shooting has drawn comparisons to a case from two-and-a-half months ago in Florida, where a mother was charged with ordering her Rottweiler to attack and kill her ex-boyfriend’s nine-year-old daughter. Smajlovic’s preliminary court hearing is scheduled for November 12, as authorities work to uncover the full details surrounding this devastating incident.