A winning scratch-off lottery ticket worth $500 prompted an argument between a couple in their Fort Worth, Texas, home that ended with both dying of gunshot wounds, officials said on Tuesday.
Fort Worth police said Terry Martin shot his long-time girlfriend, Laurice Hampton, and then shot himself early on Saturday morning in the master bedroom of the house they had shared for several years.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office ruled on Tuesday that Martin had committed suicide and that Hampton's death was a homicide.
Martin, 46, was found dead when officers arrived at the home about 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. Hampton, 48, was critically injured with multiple gunshots but was able to call 911 for help, police said.
Hampton was taken to a local hospital, where she died, police said.
"They were having an argument over a scratch-off lottery ticket winnings," said sergeant Joe Loughman. "We have been told they had a very volatile relationship."
Hampton told officers before she died that Martin had shot her and then shot himself.
Martin died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the medical examiner.
Thanks to hearsetrax for the tip.
So very, very sad......
OMG -- What a waste of life over so little.
The US economy 2015, 90+ million Americans that could be working but aren't being counted in the unemployment numbers, I bet you they weren't working regular jobs. We are seeing more of this type of violence that I can remember, and I believe it is a reflection of the dire & desperate straits people are living in today's America.
This is so sad. Over 500 dollars??? How broke do you have to be to kill over 500 dollars? That is greed because that could have been split evenly or whoever bought the ticket keep the winnings. So sad!
That ticket was just the straw that broke the camels back.
Probably been had a ton of relationship issues.
Ain't Love Grand?
WOW!!!!! We are living in sad times.
They had a volatile relationship. Probably being broke, that $500 was like a million.
Yet a certain president continually quotes misleading unemployment numbers of less than 6 percent, stock market more than doubled, and housing crisis averted when he puffs out and beats his chest. What he seems to ignore is that those 90+ million are out there scrapping to get by. If only he and his wife could sacrifice and forego the expensive, upscale vacations and setup a entrepreneur fund with the savings. That is how you leave a legacy. Who cares about an Obama library?!
So sad,over five hundred dollars for .
Must be one of those happy April Fool anniversary for these Idiots! Too bad $500 is not enough to bury one of them. Thank goodness they did not have kids.
Yup.
Note that the "90+ million" figure includes everyone under 65 who retired early, and all the high school and college students who haven't yet started looking for work. The number who want jobs is quite a bit lower.
So horrible and so pointless that these two lost their lives over 500 dollars.