Mom Killed During Custody Exchange Days After She Was Cleared for Shooting Ex in Self-Defense By Samira Asma-Sadeque

A Georgia woman and her mother were fatally shot in a Best Buy parking lot during a custody exchange with the woman’s ex-husband, according to police.

Melissa Cui Domingo, 41, and Elizabeth Cui Domingo, 74, have been identified by Richmond County authorities as the victims of the Augusta, Ga., shooting on Sunday, Sept. 7, according to The Augusta Chronicle, and WJBF.

Melissa’s ex-husband, 41-year-old Hajir Talebzadeh, has been arrested in connection with the killings, per authorities.

Melissa’s 5-year-old son Michael was at the scene and witnessed the tragedy, according to a GoFundMe set up for the Domingos and the child’s welfare. The boy is now in the care of the Department of Family and Children Services, the sheriff’s office said, per the outlets.

The shooting took place just days after a judge cleared Melissa in a 2021 incident where she allegedly shot Talebzadeh in the head, per WJBF and WRDW. It was ruled that she shot him in self-defense and those charges were dropped.

Melissa’s immunity came after she was diagnosed with battered woman syndrome (BWS) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among other issues, following years of alleged abusive and controlling behavior by Talebzadeh, according to court documents cited by the outlets.

The couple divorced in November 2024, per the court documents.

Melissa and Elizabeth are being remembered for their legacy of kindness.

“Elizabeth and Melissa touched so many lives—always finding ways to embrace joy, celebrate family, and lift the spirits of others, even in the most difficult times,” read an online obituary.

“In my opinion, and in a lot of our opinions, she did everything the right way,” Melissa’s friend Ally Bodie told WRDW. “She did everything that the courts instructed her to. I just feel like the system has failed her.”

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Talebzadeh allegedly told the 911 operator that he shot Melissa in “self-defense,” the outlet reported.

He was initially taken to a medical center to treat his injuries and has since been booked on two counts of murder and one count of cruelty to a child, per the sheriff’s office, according to WRDW and the Augusta Press.

Attorney and plea information were not immediately available for him.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.