Ronda Ebeling, 23, of Joshua Tree, California, was shot and killed on May 21, 2018, after meeting her former boyfriend, Ray Wyatt, in a remote area near Yucca Trail and La Contenta Road. A friend stayed on an open phone line during the meeting and reported hearing Wyatt make suicidal statements, mention he had a gun, and then Ebeling screaming for help. The friend called authorities.

When deputies from the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station arrived, they found Ebeling and Wyatt outside a vehicle. According to the sheriff’s department investigation, Wyatt shot Ebeling in the upper body as deputies engaged; she was taken to a local hospital and died later that evening. Deputies shot at Wyatt, who fled on foot; a later deputy-involved shooting occurred when Wyatt was found hiding near a bush, and he was killed at the scene. The investigation noted Wyatt had a history of domestic violence and prior altercations with Ebeling.

What information about Ronda, the location that night, or Wyatt’s prior history might help explain how this meeting ended in deadly violence?