In a tragic incident in Indiana, a mother was fatally shot by her husband in the presence of their children, just days after she sought a protective order against him. Authorities and witnesses report that the mother had recently expelled him from their home due to infidelity and allegations of abuse.

The husband, 46-year-old Cecil Mains, has been charged with murder following the shooting of his wife, 44-year-old Jeri Mains. The alleged crime involved a .380 handgun, with bullets striking her heart, liver, and spine, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. Their four children, aged 19, 16, 14, and 10, witnessed the horrifying event and contacted the authorities.

During a distressing call to a 911 dispatcher, the youngest child, aged 10, exclaimed, “My dad is shooting my mom!” adding, “I’m hiding. My mom has a restraining order against him. … I can’t live without her.”

Police reports indicate that the 14-year-old was the first to dial 911, soon followed by the 19-year-old and the 16-year-old. The affidavit notes that there was significant commotion in the background during these emergency calls.

Police say the 14-year-old was the first to call 911, followed by the 19-year-old and the 16-year-old. There was “a lot of commotion in the background” when the calls were placed, according to the affidavit.

“My dad just shot my mom,” the 19-year-old said. “He shot her in the house and in the driveway!”

According to court documents, Jeri Mains filed for a protective order against her husband on Christmas Day, just three days before the shooting. Since the order was filed on a holiday, a judge was unable to sign off on it due to the court offices being closed, according to local ABC affiliate WRTV and The Indianapolis Star.

The court petition reportedly shows that Jeri Mains described herself as a victim of domestic violence, with Cecil Mains allegedly assaulting her with kitchen tongs on Christmas Eve, causing a laceration and bruising. Court officials confirmed the existence of the petition to Law&Crime when reached for comment Tuesday, but noted that the document was “confidential.”

The probable cause affidavit says police spoke to Jeri Mains’ brother and were told that she “caught Cecil cheating on her” and “had Cecil move out of their residence,” though it’s unclear when exactly. “He began living with his brother,” the affidavit says.

Jeri Mains’ brother told investigators that she had talked about Cecil Mains “being physically abusive toward her,” including incidents that she reported in her protection order filing from last year.

According to the IndyStar, Jeri Mains’ petition stated that Cecil Mains punched a computer during a fight on Dec. 10, which sent a cup of hot chocolate flying all over her. Cecil Mains allegedly punched his wife in the face during a fight in November, causing her nose to bleed and face to bruise, the newspaper reports. Cecil Mains also allegedly punched out the driver’s side window of her truck at the beginning of 2025 and threatened to murder their four kids and pets on numerous occasions.

“[The 14-year-old child] stated in a previous disturbance she heard her father say he was going to kill them,” the affidavit says.

On Christmas Eve, Cecil Mains met Jeri Mains in a court parking lot after she informed him that she wanted to file for divorce, according to the petition. Jeri Mains said she recorded a conversation with her husband in which he threatened to kill himself in front of her and their kids.

The IndyStar reports that a Marion County judge was unable to see Jeri Mains’ protective order petition because his office was closed from Dec. 24-28.

Police say Cecil Mains shot and killed Jeri Mains in front of their children and then left her body in the driveway before fleeing in his Toyota Tundra. He was arrested the following day after authorities spotted his vehicle and pulled him over.

“These kids have … endured more than any child should,” a GoFundMe description says about the family. “All their lives have changed.”

Cecil Mains is being held without bond at the Marion County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 10 for an attorney conference.