Domestic abuse awareness rally set for Sunday 

It’s probably safe to say people know about domestic assault, but are they aware of it? 

Knowledge is defined as “facts and information acquired through experience or education.” 

Awareness is defined as “perceiving, feeling or being conscious of events, thoughts, emotions or sensory patterns.” 

The two words are often used interchangeably, but for Stacia Schnoor, the nuances are different – and important. Her daughter, Sabrina Lee Schnoor, was killed in late May.  

Sabrina’s body was found under the Interstate 35 overpass near the Steele County Administration building. An autopsy indicated she’d been shot in the mouth. According to the medical examiner, the bullet cut through her spinal cord, killing her. She had also sustained a skull fracture and brain bleed before being shot. 

Sabrina’s ex-boyfriend, Jason Lee Horner, has been charged with second-degree murder. Court documents allege he lured her to Owatonna, shot her, then left her body to be found nearly 24 hours later. 

The public knows the facts as presented; Stacia Schnoor is painfully aware of them. 

To that end, she has organized and is hosting a domestic assault awareness rally, set for Sunday. The event begins at noon in Owatonna’s Central Park. There will be live music, a food truck, self-defense training, and more. 

“In a perfect world, what would happen is, some of our elected officials will show up – and not just Steele County officials,” Schnoor said. “This isn’t just a city problem or a district problem; this is a whole-state problem.” 

She wants them to show up to “join us, hear our stories, look at our faces, and see what’s really going on. We want to open their eyes that this is a serious problem.” 

As of mid-July, there were 20 domestic assault-related homicides in Minnesota; there were 24 in all of 2022. 

Six men – including a Pope County Sheriff’s deputy shot while responding to a domestic assault report – have been victims. Another was an unborn child who died when his mother was shot by her ex-boyfriend. 

In addition to bringing real awareness of the issue, Schnoor has another goal: strengthening the court system. 

Specifically, “no charges should be dropped, and no plea agreements should be made without getting the opinion of the victim first,” she said. 

“A lot of (the murders) could have been prevented if the courts had done their job and stopped dropping charges and giving plea agreements – or following through when they violate probation.” 

Probation violations mean “they’re supposed to go serve their sentence, but they just get more restrictions,” not jail time, Schnoor said. “They get so many ‘last chances’ it’s not even funny. 

“They beat the hell out of a woman, break the restraining order, and they get a violation of probation,” she said. “That’s some punishment – while this woman is sitting here scared to death that he’s coming through that restraining order again.” 

Her own awareness is heightened every time she hears from a domestic abuse victim. Schnoor is connecting with hundreds of people through a Facebook page she started called “Fight for domestic abuse victims in Minnesota.” 

The private group has more than 350 members and grows almost daily. For now, the group is mainly women; any male requesting membership undergoes a criminal background check. 

Though she’s heard from men in similar situations, “it’s hard for them to come forward,” Schnoor said. 

“What that tells me is that there are a lot of victims out there that the courts do not take seriously,” she said. “They watch their abuser walk (free), every time.” 

In addition to the Facebook page, something else is in the works: The Sabrina Lee Foundation for Domestic Abuse Victims. 

The mission is to take things a step further than women’s advocacy centers can, Schnoor said: 

“Their hands are tied on so many things. They’re great with helping get restraining orders and going to court with these women and being there for them, but we’ll be looking at ‘what does this woman need to get safe?’” 

That includes personal self-defense training, cameras installed in the victim’s home, locks changed, help with moving and related expenses – “whatever we can do to help them be safe while going through the courts,” she said. 

Schnoor would use funds to cover her gas to travel, but “I’ll pack a cooler and sleep in my car if it’s something I have to stay overnight for. Their safety and security is the most important thing.” 

Domestic violence awareness ribbons will be available at the rally for a free will donation. 

“This isn’t about raising money,” Schnoor said of the event. “It’s about raising awareness. Any money that is raised will go to the foundation.” 

She has invited everyone from the Steele County Attorney’s Office to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Gov. Tim Walz. 

“We want all of our elected officials there,” she repeated. “The more that show up, the better, so we can discuss with them what our concerns are, and ask what we can do to change it – and will you please help us do that? 

“Because the silence from our elected officials so far on this matter has been absolutely deafening,” Schnoor said, circling back to the awareness aspect. 

“It doesn’t happen to them or anybody they care about – so who cares?” she said. “What is it going to take for them to open their eyes?”