US woman, 92, kills son who wanted to send her to nursing home
A 92-year-old Arizona woman was arrested after she shot and killed her 72-year-old son for suggesting that she move to an assisted living facility.
As reported by BBC, Anna Mae Blessing has been charged with murder in the first degree. According to the court documents, the crime was premeditated and her bail was set at $500,000.
Other charges brought against her include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping. Read more on our Twitter account, @amomama_usa.
The shooting took place in Fountain Hills, Maricopa County, and Blessing was found sitting in a reclining chair in her room after her son's girlfriend reported the matter to authorities.
A 92-year-old woman allegedly killed her son in Arizona because she did not want to be sent to an assisted living facility, authorities say https://t.co/T2aXDbLoxc pic.twitter.com/M0m9c5eL88
— CNN (@CNN) July 5, 2018
Blessing had been living with her son, Thomas, and his 57-year-old girlfriend at the time of the incident and refused to move out. Her son believed that she was becoming "difficult to live with."
She armed herself without two weapons and confronted her son in his bedroom. The conversation became heated, and Blessing shot her son with a revolver, in the neck and jaw, Time reported.
He died on the scene. Blessing then turned the gun on her son's girlfriend. The unnamed woman managed to wrestle the gun out of Blessing's hand.
92-year-old woman arrested for killing her son who wanted to put her into an assisted living facility pic.twitter.com/ruJ1u1oejj
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) July 5, 2018
Blessing pulled a second pistol from her robe and the woman was once again able to disarm Blessing before she escaped and notified the sheriff's office.
Authorities confirmed that the revolver was purchased in the 1970's, and Blessing's late husband had given her the pistol during that time as well.
An assisted living facility is paradise compared to the non-assisted living facility she is going to find herself in now. Very sad story. The US and their love for guns continues. Most 92 year old woman have 2 knitting needles, not 2 guns! 🙄
— Athena B. (@Athena11111) July 5, 2018
According to Daily Mail, Blessing attended the court case in a wheelchair, dressed in the prison-issued orange jumpsuit. Her next appearance is July 10.
The court heard that she wanted to take her own life as well, but didn't have the guns anymore. Instead, she waited for the officers to arrive, and believes that she must be "put to sleep" for what she had done.