In a tragic turn of events, Melissa Cui Domingo, a 37-year-old Filipino American woman, was fatally shot on Sunday, September 7, 2025, in Augusta, Georgia. The devastating incident, which also claimed the life of her 74-year-old mother, Elizabeth Cui Domingo, unfolded in the parking lot of a Best Buy during a custody exchange for Melissa's five-year-old son.
The child was present at the scene but was not physically harmed.
The alleged shooter was identified as Melissa's ex-husband, Hajir Talebzadeh. The double homicide was the culmination of a long and troubled history of domestic abuse. Less than a month before her death, a judge had dismissed all charges against Melissa for a 2021 incident in which she had shot Talebzadeh. The court ruled that she had acted in self-defense after enduring years of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. During that case, testimony revealed a pattern of violent and controlling behavior from Talebzadeh, leading to Melissa's diagnosis of Battered Person Syndrome, PTSD, and other trauma-related conditions.
On that fateful Sunday evening, the simmering tensions erupted into a final, violent confrontation. Authorities received calls about gunfire at the busy retail location around 6:12 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Melissa and her mother with fatal gunshot wounds; both were pronounced dead at the scene. Talebzadeh was also found at the scene with an injury and was transported to a local hospital before being taken into custody.
Following his release from the hospital, Hajir Talebzadeh was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and one count of cruelty to children in the first degree. The child, who witnessed the horrific event, was placed in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services. The community was left to grapple with the senseless loss of two lives and the deep trauma inflicted upon a young child who lost his mother and grandmother in a single act of violence.
