On an otherwise ordinary Sunday afternoon, August 28, 2016, the life of 29-year-old Cheri Bland was tragically cut short in a violent outburst of domestic strife that unfolded at her place of employment in Kansas City, Missouri. A dedicated mother and employee of the 7th Heaven store, Bland was fatally shot by 26-year-old Desmond Bell, a man with whom she had been in a relationship and shared a child.
After killing Bland, Bell then took his own life in an act that police would later classify as a murder-suicide. The incident, which left the community shaken, was later described as the city's ninth domestic violence homicide of that year.
The events leading up to that fatal day paint a harrowing picture of a relationship fraught with fear and abuse. Just two days prior to the shooting, Bland had sought and obtained a protection order against Bell, a clear indication of the escalating danger she faced. In the 24 hours that followed, Bell sent Bland a threatening message on social media, a chilling premonition of the violence to come. The message reportedly included a picture of the two of them with 'R.I.P.' written on it. Despite these warnings, and the fact that Bell's own mother was a manager at the 7th Heaven store and allegedly aware of her son's abusive history and distraught state, Bland went to work that Sunday, unaware it would be her last day.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Cheri Bland's parents filed a civil lawsuit against the store's parent company, Music Distribution Network, and Bell's mother. The lawsuit brought to light disturbing allegations of negligence, claiming that the store manager knew her son was armed and intended to confront Bland at the store. The suit alleged that while the manager instructed an employee to lock a door, she failed to warn Bland of the imminent threat or contact the police for assistance. It was further claimed that Bell's mother had informed her son of Bland's work schedule that day, despite Bland's efforts to keep that information from him. The legal action sought to hold the employer accountable for failing to provide a safe work environment and for the alleged role the manager played in the tragic chain of events. There were no criminal arrests or trial due to the death of the suspect.
