'You can't shoot a girl': Children witness new stepdad shoot and kill their mom before fleeing in his Jeep, police say

A Washington state antheral is down bars aft shooting and killing his caller wife, instrumentality enforcement successful the Evergreen State says.

Josiah Ballinger, 42, stands accused of second-degree murder successful the decease of Rachael Ballinger, 41, according to a press release issued by the Spokane Police Department.

The underlying incidental occurred precocious Sunday day astatine a location connected North Hawthorne Street, constabulary said. The victim's 14-year-old lad dialed 911 and said his parent had been changeable dormant and that his stepfather had fled successful his metallic Jeep.

The slain woman's 9-year-old lad said helium heard the mates arguing successful the basement, truthful helium went to spot what was going on, according to tribunal records obtained by The Spokesman-Review. At immoderate constituent during the argument, the hubby expressed a tendency to leave, portion the woman wanted him to enactment and support talking, constabulary said.

Eventually, the statement got carnal and the antheral began "pushing her and hurting her," the younger lad told instrumentality enforcement.

Then, the 9-year-old saw Josiah Ballinger propulsion retired a achromatic handgun, constabulary said. The lad told investigators this was the archetypal clip helium had ever seen his stepfather with immoderate specified weapon.

"You can't sprout a girl," Rachael Ballinger allegedly told the defendant. The soon-to-be slain pistillate insisted that her hubby would "go to jail" for the remainder of his beingness if helium went done with it.

The antheral past went done with it and fired the gun, constabulary said.

"[The 9-year-old] watched arsenic his ma fell onto the woody staircase and deed her head," according to tribunal documents obtained by Yakima-based ABC affiliate KAPP and Kennewick-based ABC affiliate KVEW, which collectively broadcast arsenic Apple Valley News Now.

After that, Josiah Ballinger stepped implicit Rachael Ballinger's assemblage and "just near her there," the 9-year-old told police.

Meanwhile, the victim's 14-year-old lad had tally retired of the location erstwhile helium heard the gunshot but yet went backmost wrong and recovered his mom, lifeless, astatine the bottommost of the stairwell, constabulary said.

The older lad told constabulary helium was "so frightened helium could not cry," according to instrumentality enforcement.

Responding officers performed lifesaving measures until paramedics could arrive, but to nary avail — the unfortunate was pronounced dormant astatine the scene, according to the constabulary department.

Another serviceman connected his mode to the residence located Josiah Ballinger adjacent East Wellesley Avenue and North Haven Street, initiated a postulation stop, and arrested him without incident. A handgun was recovered wrong the defendant's car, constabulary said.

At the clip of Rachael Ballinger's death, she and her hubby had been joined conscionable implicit a year, according to instrumentality enforcement.

During an archetypal tribunal quality connected Monday, a transgression unfortunate advocator work a connection astir the slain woman, describing her arsenic "a devoted parent of 2 sons" who "brought joy, laughter and emotion to everyone astir her," Apple Valley News Now and Spokane-based CBS affiliate KREM reported.

"Our household volition transportation the symptom of this nonaccomplishment for the remainder of our lives," the advocator went on.

Josiah Ballinger is being detained successful the Spokane County Jail connected $1 cardinal bail. He is owed to participate his plea connected Thursday.