00:00A mother of five was shot dead yesterday while putting away groceries in a Walmart parking lot in Seguin.
00:08The accused killer was her soon-to-be ex-husband.
00:11And tonight we're taking a closer look at the suspect's long criminal history.
00:16And also tonight, a friend of the victim says this tragedy could have been prevented.
00:20Here's KINZ 5 reporter Zach Briggs.
00:23We was pretty much raised with her. We still had that sisterly bond.
00:27Missy's talking about Katrina Wheeler, a mother of five who was shot dead in the parking lot of the Seguin
00:34Walmart Thursday afternoon.
00:36One of Katrina's brothers, injured in the shooting, was airlifted to a San Antonio area hospital.
00:42John Wheeler, her husband, charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
00:47I just pray for the families, both parts. Pray for the kids as well.
00:53According to court records, Katrina filed for divorce in February.
00:57A protective order hearing was slated for early June.
01:01John Wheeler's criminal history in Guadalupe County dates back to 2003.
01:06Numerous aggravated assault with deadly weapon charges.
01:09One dismissed, a family violence charge also thrown out.
01:14Then in 2021, John was found guilty in Bexar County of assaulting Katrina.
01:19Records state he used a wooden axe handle to strangle Katrina, causing her to lose consciousness.
01:25And fast forward to today, a divorce in the works that ended in tragedy.
01:31Missy lacks faith in the justice system.
01:33Something should have been done quicker.
01:36And maybe this wouldn't have happened.
01:38Get on the ball and do what they have to do.
01:40Instead of, you know, just waiting and waiting until something happens.
01:44Marta Palaya's head of Family Violence Prevention Services says everyone has a duty to step in and learn how to
01:50identify the signs that someone may be feeling trapped in a domestic crisis.
01:56It's a pattern that is progressive over time, meaning that it did not begin with this final act.
02:04You need to know how it sounds.
02:06You need to know how it looks.
02:09Stopping the generational cycle of abuse is complex.
02:12But Palaya stressed there's help out there.
02:15If we all consider that just knowing the definition of domestic violence, just understanding what it is, could save a
02:26life.
02:29And John Wheeler remains locked up in Guadalupe County Jail.
02:33And meantime, Katrina's family did share a link to a GoFundMe they established to help with funeral costs and to
02:40support her children who are now without a mother.
02:43We'll have a link on our website.
02:45In the newsroom, I'm Zach Briggs, Ken's 5.
02:47In the newsroom, I'm Zach Briggs, Ken's 5.
