An 80-year-old Texas man is behind bars after allegedly shooting his wife in their Rockwall home Sunday morning, then telling her “it was either him or her” before reporting the incident to a neighbor, authorities said.
Stephen Boewe was arrested and charged with aggravated assault family violence — a first-degree felony — after his 72-year-old wife was found with a gunshot wound to her abdomen. The shooting occurred around 10 a.m. at the couple’s residence on the 600 block of Stafford Circle, a quiet neighborhood that now finds itself at the center of a troubling domestic violence case.
What exactly led to the shooting? Details remain sparse, but the arrest affidavit paints a chilling picture. Boewe allegedly told his wife “it was either him or her” before pulling the trigger. After the shooting, the wounded woman managed to communicate to a neighbor that “he shot me,” according to police documents.
Authorities haven’t released information about what might have prompted the violent confrontation between the elderly couple. The victim’s current condition hasn’t been disclosed, though officials confirmed she sustained an abdominal gunshot wound.
Boewe is currently being held at Rockwall County Jail. No bond has been set yet as the investigation continues to unfold. The first-degree felony charge carries potentially severe penalties, even for an octogenarian defendant.
The case has stunned neighbors in this ordinarily peaceful Rockwall community, located about 25 miles northeast of Dallas. Domestic violence among elderly couples — sometimes called “late-life domestic violence” — remains an understudied phenomenon that often goes undetected until it escalates to severe incidents like this one.
Experts note that domestic violence in elderly relationships can stem from various factors, including health problems, cognitive decline, caregiver stress, or long-standing relationship patterns that worsen with age. Still, nothing excuses violent behavior, regardless of the perpetrator’s age.
Rockwall Police Department officials have indicated the investigation remains active. They haven’t disclosed whether there was any previous history of domestic disturbances at the residence.
As Stephen Boewe awaits his day in court, his alleged statement — “it was either him or her” — hangs in the air, a troubling glimpse into what might have been going through his mind moments before violence erupted in what should have been a peaceful Sunday morning at home.
