In the winter of 2015, a tragedy unfolded in the city of Taylor, Michigan, forever altering the lives of a local family and shocking the community to its core. Seven-year-old Emma Watson Nowling, a bright-eyed girl with a love for soccer, was fatally shot on December 3, 2015, in a violent act that also left her mother, Sharon Elizabeth Watson, critically injured.
The incident occurred in the parking lot of the Taylor Sportsplex, a place where Emma had just finished her soccer practice, a routine event that turned into a scene of unimaginable horror.
The person responsible for this devastating act was a 57-year-old family friend named Timothy Nelson Obeshaw. Witnesses reported that Obeshaw had been present at the sportsplex and was even seen hugging Emma during her practice earlier that evening. For reasons that remain shrouded in the complexities of his own mental state, Obeshaw approached Emma and her mother as they were leaving and opened fire. After shooting them, he immediately turned the gun on himself, taking his own life at the scene.
The aftermath of the shooting sent ripples of grief and disbelief throughout the Taylor community. Emma was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to her injuries the following evening. Her mother, Sharon, faced a long and arduous recovery from the serious injuries she sustained. In the wake of the tragedy, it was revealed that Obeshaw had been living with Emma's family and was described as having a close relationship with the young girl. Police investigating the case discovered that Obeshaw had been struggling with mental health issues, including paranoia, in the months leading up to the shooting. This revelation, however, offered little solace to a family and a community grappling with the senseless loss of a child who had dreamed of one day becoming a police officer. The community rallied around the Watson and Nowling families, holding vigils and offering an outpouring of support in the face of such a profound and sudden loss.
