KAUAI
A 40-year-old woman who was fatally shot by her ex-husband on Kauai before he turned the gun on himself had twice filed restraining orders against him while they were married.
Janese Singh died after Juanito Singh, 67, shot her multiple times early Saturday at an apartment at Kalepa Village in Hanamaulu. Police said he then fatally shot himself in the head.
Their two children, a 9-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl, who were inside the apartment at the time of the shooting, did not suffer any physical injuries. They are now under the custody of state Child Protective Services.
Janese Singh was unresponsive when paramedics arrived. She was transported to Wilcox Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
“Circumstances leading up to the shooting are part of the ongoing investigation,” police spokeswoman Sarah Blane said in an emailed statement.
Court records indicate Singh first filed for a protective order in December 2011. A temporary order was in effect until January 2012 and dismissed, according to court records. In January 2013 she was granted another protective order because of domestic abuse. It expired that March.
She filed for divorce in February 2013, and it was finalized that November, when she was awarded custody of their children.
A source said Juanito Singh pleaded with her to start their relationship over and get back together. “He didn’t want to let her go.”
In the week before the shooting, Singh reportedly called his ex-wife at least 20 times a day. The source said Janese Singh avoided the calls and that her ex-husband would get angry when she didn’t answer.
The source described Singh as a lovely woman and a great mother.
Nanci Kreidman, chief executive officer of the Domestic Violence Action Center, said: “What we tend to experience is that there’s a widely held misconception that if she just left, that would be the end of it.
“This woman’s life is a perfect reminder that harassment often continues and it is not a simple close the door, step outside and begin a new life without abuse,” she added.
