Woman in Nurse Shooting Had Marital Problems
A woman who allegedly shot a nurse in a hospital nursery this week had a rocky marriage with problems that ended up in three courts, records show.
Sopehia White, 31, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on charges of attempted murder and child endangerment.
Three babies were in the nursery at Corona Regional Medical Center during the attack Monday, hospital officials said. None of the babies was hurt, but nurse Elizabeth Staten, 30, was shot twice.
Over the past three years, White, of Sunland, and her husband, John White, repeatedly accused each other of spousal abuse and requested sole custody of their two young sons, according to court papers.
The two have sought restraining orders in Los Angeles, Van Nuys and Pomona courthouses, with Sopehia White complaining of beatings and infidelity, and John White alleging that she had harassed his co-workers. The two share custody of the boys.
Last August, according to court papers, a Van Nuys judge ordered the two to stay away from each other unless they were picking up or dropping off the children.
During the shooting at the hospital, a witness said, Sopehia White shouted at Staten: “You’ve taken my husband! You’ve taken my children!”
At least seven shots were fired during the incident. An emergency room nurse disarmed the attacker by hugging her and urging her to talk out her problems.
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