SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A man accused of gunning down three family members at his Point Loma home -- killing his sister and her son, as well as seriously injuring his elderly mother -- was ordered Tuesday to stand trial on murder and attempted murder charges.
William Bushey, 60, allegedly shot the victims on the afternoon of Aug. 21, 2024, at the house he shared with his mother in the 3600 block of Zola Street.
Bushey is charged with the murders of his sister, Laurie Robinson, 61, and his nephew, Brett Robinson, 33. Bushey's 86-year-old mother, June Bushey, was shot in her chest and lost three fingers on her right hand from the gunfire, but survived.
June Bushey testified Tuesday morning that she was on her back patio speaking with her daughter when Bushey emerged from the house and without saying anything, shot Laurie in front of her. June said she then ran and was shot in the front yard of the home. Brett Robinson was shot inside the home, according to testimony.
Tuesday's preliminary hearing was held to determine whether Bushey will go to trial on the murder and attempted murder counts. Bushey also faces special circumstance allegations of committing multiple murders, meaning he faces either capital punishment or life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.
Ryan Robinson, son to Laurie and younger brother to Brett, testified Tuesday that his mother moved back into her childhood home not long before the deadly shooting.
In his childhood, Ryan Robinson testified that he had a good relationship with his "Uncle Billy," but said that within the last several years, Bushey had grown distant from his family and became "like a ghost."
Ryan testified that Bushey had been living at the Zola Street home for several years when his sister moved in and not long afterward, he learned Bushey had repeatedly gotten into arguments of escalating severity with Laurie, who feared for her safety.
The conflicts led to discussions of obtaining a restraining order against Bushey and evicting him from the home, according to testimony.
At one point, Ryan said his mother asked him to lend her a gun, which he said was shocking because his mother "absolutely hates guns."
Police were also called twice to the home in the days leading up to the shooting, but neither incident resulted in an arrest or emergency psychiatric hold. Tuesday's testimony touched on one of those occasions on Aug. 16, in which Ryan recommended Laurie and her mother hide all the knives in the home due to the escalating altercations, which angered Bushey, Ryan testified.
He testified that he pleaded with his mother to move out, but she declined.
Concerning his uncle at that time, Ryan said, "He seemed scared that he was going to be pushed out of the house."
Bushey called 911 after the shooting and in an audio recording of the 911 call played in court, Bushey admitted to a dispatcher that he shot his sister and nephew. Officers responded to the home and found Bushey sitting on the front doorstep with his hands held in the air.
Bushey remains in custody without bail.
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