Ruth Robison, 45, of Iowa was allegedly shot and killed by her daughter’s ex-boyfriend on Friday, Nov. 1
An Iowa mom was killed and her husband was critically wounded when their daughter’s ex-boyfriend allegedly shot them while they helped her move out of his home after a breakup, authorities said.
On Friday, Nov. 1, police in Des Moines rushed to a home on NW 51st Place at 5:24 p.m. while responding to a report about shots being fired, Captain Ryan Evans of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office told PEOPLE.
When they arrived, they found a woman, identified as Ruth Robison, 45, and her husband, Tony Ray Robison, 52, suffering from gunshot wounds to the head, Evans said.
Hamza Smajlovic allegedly shot the couple with a 9mm pistol, authorities said, according to criminal complaints obtained by the Des Moines Register and NBC affiliate WHO 13.
They were rushed to the hospital, where Ruth Robison died. Her husband survived, but remains in critical condition.
Police arrested Smajlovic, 24, and charged him with first-degree murder, attempted murder and intimidation with a dangerous weapon, according to online court records.
“Obviously this is a tragic situation involving a woman trying to get out of a relationship,” Evans told PEOPLE. “It turned into a more dangerous situation resulting in the death of her mother.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE‘s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Smajlovic and the Robisons’ daughter, Jasmyne, 24, had just broken up and her parents were helping her move her belongings out of the home where they’d lived together, Evans said.
Police alleged in the criminal complaint that Smajlovic shot Robison once in the head and also shot her husband in the head, the Des Moines Register reports.
Smajlovic remains held in the Polk County Jail on a $750,000 cash-only bond, according to online court records. He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 12. It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
