CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On Monday, a woman died after a shooting on Corpus Christi's southside.
When police arrived, they found the woman and a man with gunshot wounds. Two children were also at the home at the time of the shooting -- but neither one was hurt.
The Corpus Christi Police Department said it's still unclear who the aggressor was in the situation -- but are investigating the circumstances as domestic violence.
Residents often hear about resources available for domestic violence after the abuse occurs, but Purple Door CEO Frances Wilson said there are signs to look for even before the situation escalates.
"Telling you what you can wear, telling you what you can buy or how much you can spend, where you can go, can't go places," she said.
Wilson said it's that controlling and jealous type behavior in a relationship that can often be a pre-curser to emotional and physical abuse.
"Especially if your partner has ever threatened your life take that seriously and reach out, we are open 24/7," she said.
Wilson oversees the non-profit that provides services and shelter to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
"If your gut is telling you, you are in a dangerous situation, you are. There's a reason we all have that feeling," she said.
Wilson told 3NEWS that people will stay in abusive relationship because they're holding out hope that it will get better.
"In the moment it might be 'I want him arrested' but a couple of things can change that. Either they really do love the person, they want him to be the way he was when they first started, or she could be afraid that if I press charges as soon as he gets out he's going to make a b line to me," she said.
In situations like these, Wilson said that reaching out for help is paramount.
"One thing people think we encourage is ending relationships, but its really up to the victim or survivor if they want to stay in that relationship," she said.
Wilson said that she stresses how crucial it is for the aggressor to want to get help.
"So many times we look to the victim to be the one to make the change or try to protect herself, in reality we need to be looking at the perpetrator," she said.
If left unchecked, the offender will often repeat their behavior in another relationship. For the victim or survivor who wants to stay -- watching for red flags and having a safety plan in place can mean all the difference in a dire situation.
"So you have the right papers together maybe some money set aside so that if you had to leave you could," she said.
The Purple Door can be reached at (361) 881-8888.
There's also the national domestic violence hotline which is open 24/7 available in English, Spanish, and over 200 different languages.
That number to call is: 800-799-7233.
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