BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — The mother of Katie Arnold, the woman authorities say was fatally shot by Donald Britt earlier this week, spoke about the night of her daughter’s death and the relationship she had with the man accused of killing her.
It was clear to see the devastation in Donna Arnold’s eyes from the death of her daughter, but even more so for Katie being torn from her daughters, ages 16 and 4.
“She’s amazing. She was,” Donna said. “She had been trouble for years, and in the past two years she has been the most helpful, best looking. I mean she has really done a lot in her life to make her more normal, you know — not to be around bad people, not to trust anybody. And how he got through, I don’t know.”
The night of the alleged shooting, Katie went to the bathroom and opened the window to smoke.
Donna then heard a gunshot and scream.
“There she was,” Donna said. “Blood everywhere, but nothing was still coming out of the place that she was shot at. But, that’s neither here nor there, she was definitely shot and killed.”
That’s when she called 911.
She said Katie and Donald Britt met each other at work and recently ended a relationship because of an alleged domestic dispute. Donna said Katie did not feel safe.
“Katie had been worried because she had sent messages to people saying he had been driving around the circle and she knew he was stalking her,” Donna said. “She’d come straight home. She did not want to go anywhere else.”
Donna Arnold was unaware of the three previous domestic violence charges on Donald Britt’s record.
