Cracker Barrel shooting victim feared for her life, friend says

CLEVELAND - Friends say Katie Allen of Strongsville feared for her life before being killed by her estranged husband at a suburban Cleveland restaurant.

Brooklyn police killed 51-year-old Kevin Allen after he shot and killed Katie and one of their daughters at the Cracker Barrel Thursday night.

A friend, who only wanted to be identified as Doug, said Katie had taken their two daughters and left Kevin earlier this week.

"She'd been staying with friends, kind a hiding out," Doug said. "He (Kevin) wanted to see his girls because it was one of their birthdays Thursday night and she didn't want to go back to the house because she was in fear of her life. So she made arrangements to do a public dinner. She thought she'd be safe there."

Tim Boehnlein, director of education and training at the Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center, said  women in abusive relationships are at 75 percent greater risk of being killed after they leave. 

"It's really about the perpetrators exertion of power and control to get that person back," he said.

While there's no absolute way for a woman to protect herself from someone who intentionally wants to harm her, there are things that can reduce the risk:

-Contact the Domestic Violence Helpline at 216-391-HELP for assistance in developing a safety plan

-Reach out to family and friends

-Explore the possibility of a restraining order

For more information on domestic violence, go to www.dvcac.org