Woman allegedly kills husband at Walmart parking lot in front of 3 children, police say

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene

Photo of police 'do not cross' tape (REUTERS/Max Whittaker)

A woman in Louisiana allegedly fatally shot her husband at a Walmart parking lot while three children were present.

The Alexandria Police Department (APD) responded to reports of shots fired at Walmart on 8 September, around 11.15am, and found a 30-year-old man lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the chest.

Police had initially withheld the release of the name of the victim until all family members had been notified.

APD initially identified the suspect as 31-year-old Kayla Coutee, who was reportedly still on the scene when officers arrived before she was taken into custody. She has since been identified as the victim’s wife; the suspect and her husband were meeting to exchange custody, according to APD.

The suspect was arrested and reportedly charged with second degree murder. She was then transported and booked at the Rapides Parish Detention Centre. A spokesman with the Rapides Parish Detention Centre told The Independent that Ms Coutee was booked as Kayla Jean Giles. It is not known if she has yet been assigned a lawyer or given an opportunity to enter a plea.

The Rapides Parish Detention Centre spokesman said that no bond had been set for the suspect at the time of publication.

According to Alexandria’s The Town Talk, a matrimonial agreement filed in May allowed the suspect to use the surname Giles instead of her married name.

Louisiana records indicate that the couple married in 2014 and separated in February this year, according to the The Town Talk report.

“There were three children present at the time of the shooting; none were injured,” APD wrote in a statement. “All three were taken to APD headquarters, where the Department of Children and Family Services were contacted to make arrangements for their care. The children were later released to the custody of family members.”

Emergency personnel attempted to revive the victim at the scene but were unable to do so. The 30-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.