A man with a history of domestic violence shot his ex-girlfriend, their newborn child and an assistant pastor at a Selma church Sunday.

A shooting in a church is a shocking crime and garnered national attention. Unfortunately, domestic violence is in fact a common occurrence.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, every 9 seconds in the United States, a woman is assaulted or beaten.

The stats are unsettling:

*During one year, more than 10 million people, mostly women, will be physically abused by an intimate partner in our country.

*One in three women and one in four men have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner at some point within their lifetime.

*One a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.

*The presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500 percent.

Locally, there is an organization that works to provide victims of domestic violence hope and safety.

S.A.B.R.A. offers a safe haven for women and children who don’t feel safe in their own home. The shelter is in an undisclosed location and is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure those who come to stay in the shelter feel completely safe.

Executive director of the S.A.B.R.A. Sanctuary Nancy Travis encourages all women who feel unsafe to contact the women’s shelter.

“When home is not safe anymore or you don’t feel like you’re in a safe situation, you can come to our shelter and it’s safe there,” Travis said. “Someone is there 24 hours a day, we have an alarm system, so our women and children are safe.”

Travis said that even if women choose not to stay in the shelter, giving the shelter a call will still give them the help they need.

“Even if they don’t come in to shelter, they will call and ask for help and we give them a safety plan or we give them other resources in their area,” Travis said.

The women’s shelter offers resources such as counseling help and legal services.

Travis hopes anyone who is currently in a household with domestic violence doesn’t wait any longer to call.

“Please don’t wait too late.” Travis said. “Give us a call and we’re here to help you.”

Anyone who feels like they are not safe in their homes or simply needs help in dealing with domestic violence can call the 24-hour hotline at 874-8711. If someone from out of the area wants to reach out for safety, call 800-650-6522.