Woman killed outside Dallas PetSmart after argument over not saying 'thank you'

The Brief A woman was shot and killed outside a Dallas PetSmart on Tuesday following an argument that started over the suspect not saying "thank you" for a held door. The victim, Cecilia Simpson, was shot multiple times after the dispute escalated into a physical fight in the parking lot. Police have arrested 22-year-old Keona Zachyua Hampton, who is booked into the Dallas County Jail; a bond has not yet been set.

An arrest affidavit for a shooting outside a PetSmart store in Dallas on Tuesday reveals the situation started when the victim opened the door for the suspect, and the suspect didn't thank her, according to a witness.

According to Dallas Police, the shooting happened around 1 p.m. in the 3500 block of West Wheatland, in the Southeast Oak Cliff area of Dallas.

The victim, identified as 41-year-old Cecilia Simpson, was shot multiple times. She was taken to the hospital where she died.

Police arrived at the crime scene and spoke with witnesses and obtained surveillance videos.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Simpson's 20-year-old daughter told police she was with her mother at Five Below in the same shopping center as PetSmart. As they were walking out of Five Below, the victim held the door open for the suspect, now identified as 22-year-old Keona Zachyua Hampton.

Keona Zachyua Hampton (Source: Dallas County Jail)

The victim, Simpson, became upset because Hampton did not thank her for holding the door. That's when Simpson and Hampton started arguing.

Simpson and her daughter walked to their car and drove to PetSmart. The affidavit says Hampton walked towards PetSmart.

Simpson and her daughter went into the store and told employees they were being followed by Hampton. Hampton then entered the store and started arguing with Simpson's daughter. Hampton then left the store and returned several minutes later.

Simpson and Hampton then started arguing, and they were asked to leave the store by employees.

While in the parking lot, Simpson and her daughter were getting into their vehicle when Hampton allegedly threw a drink bottle at their vehicle.

Simpson walked to Hampton and continued to argue, which turned into a physical fight. The daughter told police Simpson struck Hampton several times while yelling at her to leave her alone.

The daughter stepped away from the fight and that is when Hampton allegedly took out a black and silver handgun and fired three times at Simpson. Simpson was shot and fell to the ground.

Surveillance video showed Hampton driving away from the location in a black Ford Five Hundred. Dallas police went to the registered owner's driver's license address to conduct undercover surveillance. Officers saw Hampton on the balcony of an apartment. She was still wearing the same clothing and appeared to match the person seen in the surveillance video, according to the affidavit.

Officers received cell phone video of the shooting. Police said the video showed the argument and several gunshots were heard as the person recording the video turned the phone. The suspect was seen quickly walking away from Simpson, who was lying on the ground. The suspect was seen in the video with a black and silver gun in her hands.

Later that day, around 7:45 p.m., Dallas police officers conducted a traffic stop on the black Ford Five Hundred.

Hampton was taken to Dallas Police Headquarters to be interviewed.

She waived her rights and confirmed she argued with Simpson and the witness, that she went into PetSmart twice and continued the argument. She said she threw the drink bottle at Simpson's car when she was about to leave, and that she fought with Simpson. Hampton said when the witness became involved in the fight, that is when she took out her gun and shot Simpson. She told police she was just trying to get Simpson away from her.

Hampton is booked into the Dallas County Jail. Her bond has not been set.

FOX 4 talked to a 27-year-old ER nurse who walked out of the PetSmart store just in time to hear the women arguing in the parking lot.

"The shooter was saying, ‘Come outside. Let’s handle this outside. Let's fight outside.' And the mom and daughter were just telling her to like go away," the ER nurse said. She asked FOX 4 not to use her name in stories. "The mother and daughter tried to get in the car to de-escalate the situation but the lady wasn't having it. They started to fight and that's when the lady pulled out her gun and shot her."

The nurse said she ran to help and put her training to work, performing CPR before paramedics arrived.

"The daughter was next to the mom the whole time. It's hard, you know, because the screaming of a child for her mother is never easy and it's never going to leave my head," she said. "I've been trying not to cry, but just like, you know, being in high school, my mom was such an important person in my life and she's the reason I became a nurse. My whole family is."

"Honestly, if I could just hug that daughter. I just want her to know I did everything I could. Those other people did everything they could," she said.