Shannon Burke, 43, was arrested last week for shooting his wife and her pet dog. His wife dialed 911 law enforcement officials were called to Burke's home. His wife survived the attack and has received an emergency domestic violence injunction to protect her from her husband. She was shot in the head and remains hospitalized. Burke has been charged with aggravated assault and animal cruelty related to the shooting, as well as violation of probation. Cathy Burke's small dog, Charlotte, also survived its gunshot wound and is recovering.
Burke was already serving probation at the time of this offense. He was sentenced in November to about a year of probation after pleading no contest to a charge of reckless driving, stemming from alcohol. Burke's criminal defense attorney and the state prosecutors disagreed over several aspects of his case at Burke's first court appearance, with the state alleging that he is behind in probation payments and has not attended DUI school. Burke's attorney denied both of those allegations, saying his client was up-to-date with payments before May 1 and that his client attended DUI school. His possession of the weapon used to shoot his wife and her dog was in violation of the terms of his probation.
Meanwhile, Burke's former wife - a different woman than the woman he allegedly shot - received an emergency injunction to protect the nine-year-old daughter they have together. Burke is now not permitted to have any contact with his young daughter except phone calls. The ex-wife alleges that Burke was "volatile" during her marriage to him and also that he fired a shot into the wall of his apartment when arguing with a girlfriend subsequent to their divorce, which occurred in 2004. She also stated that Burke threatened to commit suicide while armed with a gun.
The original story is available here.
If you have been arrested in Florida, contact the criminal defense attorneys at Musca Law as soon as possible.
Burke was already serving probation at the time of this offense. He was sentenced in November to about a year of probation after pleading no contest to a charge of reckless driving, stemming from alcohol. Burke's criminal defense attorney and the state prosecutors disagreed over several aspects of his case at Burke's first court appearance, with the state alleging that he is behind in probation payments and has not attended DUI school. Burke's attorney denied both of those allegations, saying his client was up-to-date with payments before May 1 and that his client attended DUI school. His possession of the weapon used to shoot his wife and her dog was in violation of the terms of his probation.
Meanwhile, Burke's former wife - a different woman than the woman he allegedly shot - received an emergency injunction to protect the nine-year-old daughter they have together. Burke is now not permitted to have any contact with his young daughter except phone calls. The ex-wife alleges that Burke was "volatile" during her marriage to him and also that he fired a shot into the wall of his apartment when arguing with a girlfriend subsequent to their divorce, which occurred in 2004. She also stated that Burke threatened to commit suicide while armed with a gun.
The original story is available here.
If you have been arrested in Florida, contact the criminal defense attorneys at Musca Law as soon as possible.
