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SALT LAKE CITY — It was a tragic scene outside the ARUP offices on the University of Utah campus Thursday. Police say 23-year-old Katherine Peralta was gunned down by her husband, Richard Peralta, who then shot himself.
Rewind to a week ago, when 39-year-old Tina Marie Lowe was shot several times at the American Fork gas station where she worked. She's still in critical condition. Police are searching for her estranged husband.
Then there is SueAnn Sands. Police say she was chased down by her ex-boyfriend. He allegedly rammed her car in a Wal-Mart parking lot and fired multiple shots, killing her on Dec. 4.
That's three domestic violence-related shootings this month alone.
Lexie Leavitt works for South Valley Services, which helps a lot of victims. She says domestic violence in Utah is common.
"It's a huge problem, unfortunately," said Leavitt. "One in four women and one in four men will experience domestic violence or intimate partner violence in their lives."
In 2015, nearly half of all homicides were linked to domestic violence. That's higher than normal (47 percent in 2015 versus 32 percent on average).
"Oftentimes, violence is the last sign," said Leavitt. "Sometimes when someone is actually murdered, that's the first time that actual physical violence occurred."
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1 in 3 women experience domestic violence in Utah, study says
More than 1 in 3 Utah women will experience rape, physical violence or be stalked by an intimate partner in their lifetime according to a 2010 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Victims need to know they can get out and that there is help available to make sure it happens safely.So how do you know if the violence could turn fatal? Leavitt points to the "Domestic Violence Lethality Screen," which is a list of 11 questions. Law enforcement officials use it as a guide when they respond to domestic violence calls. Leavitt says based on the victim's answers, police can tell to a high degree of certainty if that person is at risk of homicide.
"A lot of the questions aren't really what you would think would be red flags but they're red flags," said Leavitt. "Like if a gun is present, is available to the perpetrator, it's a 500 percent increase in homicide risk right there."
If victims answer "yes" to any of the following questions, police view them as a high risk for homicide:
1. Has he/she ever used a weapon against you or threatened you with a weapon?
2. Has he/she threatened to kill you or your children?
3. Do you think he/she might try to kill you?
If victims answer "yes" to at least four of the following questions, police also view them as a high risk for homicide:
4. Does he/she have a gun or can he/she get one easily?
5. Has he/she ever tried to choke you?
6. Is he/she violently or constantly jealous or does he/she control most of your daily activities?
7. Have you left him/her or separated after living together or being married?
8. Is he/she unemployed?
9. Has he/she ever tried to kill himself/herself?
10. Do you have a child that he/she knows is not his/hers?
11. Does he/she follow or spy on you or leave threatening messages?
If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can contact the South Valley Sanctuary at its hotline, 801-255-1095, 24 hours a day or its website.
