‘Abusive’ wife ‘shoots husband dead in front of three children’ in supermarket car park

A woman has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting her estranged husband dead in front of three children in a supermarket car park.

Kayla Giles, 31, is accused of killing Thomas Coutee Jr, 30, during a child custody handover outside a Walmart in Alexandria, Louisiana, on Saturday.

The shooting happened on the day of their daughter’s second birthday, it was reported.

The couple were married in 2014 but separated in February this year.

Mr Coutee, a welding instructor, died at the scene after being hit with a bullet in the chest.

Police said three children were present but were not injured. They were later transferred into the custody of family members.

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Police responded to the shooting at about 11.15am on Saturday, and emergency workers tried for at least 20 minutes to revive Mr Coutee.

It was reported that he had filed a police complaint about his wife being violent in the past and had filed a motion against joint custody of their children.

She was accused of a “history of domestic abuse” against Mr Coutee in divorce papers filed last month.

The handover took place at an “outer section” of the supermarket, police said, where there were very few cars.

The parking lot was close to Giles’s home.

Giles has been charged with second-degree murder by the Alexandria Police Department and is being held on bail of $500,000 (£380,000).