YULEE, Fla. – A Yulee man has been charged with second-degree murder after he shot and killed his wife Sunday during a domestic dispute, according to the Nassau County Sheriff's Office.
The victim, Catherine Mabe VanZeeland, 54, was found dead of a gunshot wound Sunday after deputies arrived to investigate a reported shooting on VanZeeland Lane in Yulee near A1A and North Harts Road.
Investigators said after the shooting, the victim's husband, 49-year-old Kurt VanZeeland, went to a neighbor's home and said he had shot his wife during an argument.
Several neighbors held him at that home until deputies arrived.
Kurt VanZeeland was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and booked into the Nassau County Detention Facility.
"I can't believe it. I just don't believe it," said Don Jones, a friend of Kurt VanZeeland, who said he's planning to visit him in the Nassau County Jail. "I"m just going to ask him what the hell happened. What happened?" Jones said. "I don't know whether he can say or not. I don't know. He's probably in shock, too."
People in the area are remembering Catherine VanZeeland, who friends of the family said had children but not with Kurt VanZeeland.
"Just a great lady," Frank Spencer said. "As nice as can be."
Deputies said they obtained a search warrant and recovered the gun.
"You would never think something like that would happen, especially on Mother's Day," one man said.
News4Jax learned the family owned a pawn shop in Yulee and they were well known in the area. A sign outside of the business read, "closed because of a family emergency."
Deputies said they had no prior calls to the VanZeelands' home, and Kurt VanZeeland had no previous criminal history.