In a tragic turn of events in Indiana, a man has been accused of murder following the fatal shooting of his wife, which occurred mere days after she had sought a restraining order against him and asked him to leave their home.

The couple’s four children, aged 10, 14, 16, and 19, were present at the residence during the incident on December 28 and promptly alerted authorities by calling 911, as reported by WRTV.

Cecil Mains, aged 46, fled after the shooting, leaving his 44-year-old wife, Jeri Mains, critically injured in the driveway. Authorities swiftly apprehended him during a traffic stop not long after the incident. Mains opted not to cooperate with detectives, instead requesting legal counsel.

Investigators found a .380 caliber handgun in Mains’ vehicle, which matched the ammunition discovered at the crime scene, according to court documents.

Prior to this devastating event, Jeri Mains had filed for a protective order on the morning of December 25, as detailed by The Indianapolis Star. Unfortunately, her petition was not reviewed in time due to court closures from December 24 to 28, and the history of domestic violence incidents leading up to the shooting added to the alarming nature of this case.

In the petition, Mains said that Cecil Mains threw kitchen tongs at her the night before, cutting her arm and causing bruising. A day before that, he allegedly accosted her in the Justice Center parking lot, threatening to kill her and himself because she was filing for divorce. She wrote in the petition that she had a recording of the threats. Later on, he again threatened to kill himself, this time in front of her and the children.

Earlier last month, he punched her computer and knocked hot chocolate on her, and in November, he punched her in the face. Months earlier, she wrote, he punched the driver’s side window of her truck so hard he broke the glass. She also wrote that he had threatened to kill her, the kids, and their pets multiple times in recent years.

But the holidays meant it was too late to stop the murder. Police arrived and found Jeri Mains in the driveway. Medics rushed her to Eskenazi Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, WRTV said.

“The facts of this case are devastating,” said Prosecutor Ryan Mears. “As we move forward with the criminal proceedings, our thoughts remain with Jeri’s four children, who have endured an unthinkable tragedy and are now facing an incredibly difficult journey ahead.”