A Missouri community is reeling after police say a 36-year-old man brutally killed his pregnant ex-girlfriend in a shocking attack caught on camera. Authorities allege that Arel Dawkins is responsible for the August 6 death of 30-year-old Braisen Cain near the 4000 block of Morrell Avenue.
According to court documents, the couple had recently split, and Cain was expecting Dawkins’ child. Police say that in the middle of the day, Dawkins first ran Cain over with his Ford F-150, then got out and opened fire not once or twice, but 21 times with a .40 caliber pistol. Investigators say he even stopped to reload before continuing to shoot.
Witness accounts and video footage appear to back up the horrifying sequence of events. Neighbors and friends of Cain reportedly identified Dawkins as the attacker, and one witness caught the incident on video, allegedly showing Dawkins hitting Cain with his truck and then shooting her as she lay injured in a yard, according to KCTV5.
Court records reveal that Dawkins allegedly told a high school friend over the phone that he had struck Cain with his vehicle before shooting her. Surveillance video reportedly shows him stepping out of the driver’s seat as his truck rolled backward after hitting her, pointing a gun, and firing at close range before shooting again from the street.
The Kansas City Star reports that multiple 911 calls poured in after the attack, including from Dawkins’ own family, who said he had confessed to killing Cain and threatened to take his own life. Police tracked Dawkins’ phone to Springfield, Missouri, where he was located and identified in a photographic lineup.
As of August 10, he’s being held without bond at the Greene County Jail on a first-degree murder charge. Cain’s death has devastated the community where she taught at the Academy for Integrated Arts in Kansas City. Colleagues and parents have described her as a dedicated teacher who loved her students and was deeply involved in their success.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help support her children, who range in age from two to 19 years old. Friends and supporters have been sharing memories and messages of love on social media, remembering her as a caring mother, an inspiring educator, and a vibrant presence whose life was cut tragically short, according to Fox4KC.
The senseless violence has also sparked renewed calls for more protections for pregnant women in domestic violence situations, with advocates pointing out that pregnancy can increase a woman’s risk of being harmed by an intimate partner. For now, Dawkins remains behind bars as the investigation continues. Prosecutors say they will pursue the maximum penalty allowed under Missouri law.