Jennifer Thomas said, as a domestic violence survivor, she thought she broke the cycle of abuse.
Sarah Carroll, 20, was shot and killed in Westland by her ex-boyfriend on Aug. 30, according to her mother Jennifer Thomas.
She raised her only daughter, Sarah Carroll, 20, to be independent, strong and open about her struggles. But that didn’t stop Carroll’s ex-boyfriend from shooting the young woman in her Westland apartment several times with a shotgun, killing her before he turned the gun around on himself, her mother said.
“I thought we broke the chain. But I guess we didn’t,” said Thomas, 43, of Ecorse less than a week after her daughter’s tragic death on Aug. 30. Carroll never told her mother she was being abused, or that she was in the process of getting a personal protection order (PPO), Thomas said.
Carroll was one of at least four women killed in a rash of domestic violence that shook metro Detroit in recent weeks, prompting demands for stronger protection for victims by both advocates and loved ones of those killed.
It began with Latricia Green, 40, who was shot and killed at her job at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital on Aug. 22. Authorities have said the shooter was her ex-husband, Mario Green.
The 53-year-old Detroit man has faced allegations of violence from several women dating back to 2001, including convictions of aggravated stalking and arson. Judges in Wayne County granted seven personal protection orders filed against him — most recently by slain Latricia Green in July 2025. Brian Berry, an attorney for Mario Green, declined to comment.
Then on Aug. 29, 24-year-old Brianna Frame was another victim of a murder-suicide by an ex-boyfriend in Hamtramck — the killing was done in front of their 10-month-old baby girl, Alicia Lepkowski, Frame’s cousin, told the Free Press. Hamtramck police would not confirm details about the incident because it’s still under investigation. Lepkowski described her cousin’s ex as possessive, controlling and physically abusive.
Brianna Frame, 24 of Hamtramck, was shot by her ex-boyfriend in front of their 10-month-old baby on Aug. 29, according to her cousin Alicia Lepkowski.
“Her daughter meant everything to her. She lived for her daughter,” Lepkowski said. She started a GoFundMe to help cover the cost of the funeral and support Frame’s young daughter. Carroll’s family is also raising money for funeral expenses.
Just a few days after Frame and Carroll’s death, a mother and her 12-year-old son were killed in their Hazel Park home by her brother on Sept. 1, according to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. The brother was charged with two counts of first degree murder on Sept. 5. Family have set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral and memorial costs.
Several advocates against domestic violence spoke to the Free Press about what they say are systematic failures that have allowed a growing number of domestic violence-related homicides, particularly with guns and strangulation.
“It’s almost like we’re hearing it constantly,” said Jeni Hooper, the interim executive director at First Step. The organization serves victims of domestic violence in Wayne County.
Advocates called for changes to how the justice system responds to domestic violence.
Victims of domestic violence need stronger protection, Hooper said. The system fails to adequately hold abusers accountable and there is little-to-no enforcement of PPOs by law enforcement, she said. Courts and advocacy groups are underfunded, Hooper said.
Georgea Cole, founder of the nonprofit Act Now Services — which helps people get PPOs primarily in Wayne County — said law enforcement should take on-going training about domestic violence. There’s a lack of education around the issue, she said.
Latricia Green, known as “Trish,” was her family’s favorite little cousin and was remembered as fun, loving and silly. Police say the 40-year-old was fatally shot by her ex-husband on Aug. 22 at Henry Ford Hospital.
Green’s loved ones told the Free Press they want her fate to change how authorities and the public respond to domestic violence and pleas for help. Thomas doesn’t want her daughter to die in vain, either. She wants to go to schools to teach younger generations about the signs, dangers and risks of domestic violence and how to get help. Getting protective orders should be easier for victims, she said.
One Michigan lawmaker wants to make the process for serving them easier, too, with a plan to introduce legislation to make PPO service free in the state.
“I don’t want just a slap on the wrist,” Thomas said.
“I’ll never have grandkids by her. I saved my wedding veil for her,” she continued, referring to her daughter.
Experts say awareness of resources is key for victims of domestic violence to protect themselves and emphasized the importance of safety planning with an advocate and speaking up — even though it can be difficult. Here’s what to know about personal protection orders and other ways to get assistance, according to experts the Free Press spoke to and the Michigan Legal Help website, a resource providing legal information, funded in part by the Michigan Supreme Court.
What are protection orders?
A personal protection order is a court order meant to help victims protect themselves against threats or violence. There are three types: domestic relationship, nondomestic stalking and nondomestic sexual assault.
A PPO gives someone a “window to get to safety,” said Cole, a longtime advocate and domestic violence survivor. However, it is not fail proof and there are follow up steps, she said. Her organization Act Now Services also offers safety planning and resources for emergency shelter. After a judge signs a PPO, it must be served to the person it has been filed against.
A domestic relationship PPO can bar the other party from entering a home, threatening to kill, stalking and buying or having a gun, according to Michigan Legal Help.
Wayne County Court Chief Judge Patricia Perez Fresard said PPOs are just one “very limited” resource and sometimes won’t stop the most violent abusers. What can, she said, are Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) through Michigan’s “red flag” law enacted in Feb. 2024. It’s harder to get, she said, but with an ERPO, police can immediately remove the gun from the home from the abuser. The person filing the complaint must show evidence of harm.
“Most people don’t know that you can get these. And if you have enough evidence that someone has a gun and they’re very dangerous and they’re out to get you, going to a police department and asking that that action be taken could resort in saving lives,” Fresard said.
Getting an ERPO is quick, Fresard said — there are emergency judges on duty. And if an ERPO is granted, an abuser needs to go to court to try and get his or her weapon back. That’s an opportunity for a victim to provide more background information against the perpetrator, including previous PPOs or a history of domestic violence.
How to obtain a protection order and get it served
ERPOs can be filed at circuit court.
A person who wants to get a domestic relationship PPO must file a petition at a circuit court. To find courts by county, go to https://bit.ly/MichiganCourtroomDirectory.
In order to get the PPO, the petitioner must provide proof that the other party might physically hurt, threaten or stalk them. Cole’s nonprofit guides people through the PPO process at the Wayne County Circuit Court, and files the orders on their behalf. During the intake process, she encourages them to tell their story and not leave anything out.
Once a judge signs a PPO, the order must be served to the other party, according to Michigan Legal Help, meaning the person is notified of court papers filed against them. That can be done through a process server, law enforcement, a friend or relative or certified mail. If a PPO hasn’t been served, the respondent won’t be immediately arrested for violating the order unless there was a crime.
“It’s not the PPO itself that’s going to keep them safe, it’s the action steps with it that could give them a greater chance of safety,” Cole said.
Michigan Legal Help says to keep a copy of the PPO and proof of service on hand and a second copy in a safe place. Cole and Fresard advised victims to give copies of the order to friends, family, employers and neighbors. The more people that are aware a victim is in danger, the better, Fresard said.
Fresard advised victims to report any potential violations of a protective order. That may turn the civil case into a criminal case and requires a court hearing where a victim can provide more information against a perpetrator to the judge.
How much does it cost to serve a personal protection order?
There are many ways to get a PPO served but it may cost a fee. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, for instance, will serve PPOs for $26, plus mileage. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office can serve PPOs in other counties but the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office does not deliver PPOs outside of the county. The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office Civil Division serves PPOs as well. There are also professional process servers, according to Michigan Legal Help.
Is anyone pursuing changes to Michigan’s PPO process?
The U.S. has a patchwork of different state laws on PPOs. In some states, an order can’t be enforced until the abuser is served. In many states, law enforcement is responsible for serving the order. And in some places, state law explicitly bars charging any fee for serving the order. But that’s not the case in Michigan. State Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, wants to change that, addressing an issue many domestic violence groups have raised for a long time, she said.
Chang said she has a draft of a bill she is planning to introduce to ensure a PPO is served by law enforcement at no charge. She mentioned past concerns raised over the cost to law enforcement agencies, but Chang said the state can cover the expense.
“Because protecting people’s safety should be a priority,” she said.
What are other ways people can protect themselves?
Advocates with the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence said although getting personal protection orders and ERPOs are good resources, it’s important to talk to advocates to come up with a safety plan and gauge available options. The coalition’s website has a list of resources by county and runs the state of Michigan’s domestic violence hotline.
Fresard said it’s important to remember that if a victim is comfortable, they should pursue criminal charges against an abuser. She did acknowledge a barrier — there is a perception that society often doesn’t believe women and juries may want to see “perfect victims” — but that shouldn’t prohibit the victim from pursuing charges. It’s still a strong means of protection, she said.
Cole emphasized the importance of speaking up.
“That’s the hardest thing to ask a victim to do because they’ve been surviving the best way they know how,” she said.
How to get help
Contact Nushrat Rahman: nrahman@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rash of killings tied to domestic violence prompts calls for action