USSEP 2, 2025
Tragedy Unfolds After “Smart, Brave, Strong” College Student Harassed For Months By Ex-Boyfriend
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A 20-year-old woman was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend on Saturday in Detroit.
The ex-boyfriend, Lincoln, had been stalking Sarah Carroll for months since their breakup.
He called in the shooting after killing his ex-girlfriend and turned the weapon on himself.
Sarah Carroll, 20, was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, who had been stalking her for months
Highlights
- Sarah Carroll, 20, was fatally shot by her ex-boyfriend in Detroit after months of stalking following their breakup.
- Her ex-boyfriend called 911, admitting the murder before shooting himself in a murder-suicide near Woodland Villa Apartments.
- Sarah was in the process of obtaining a restraining order but her parents were unaware of the stalking prior to the tragedy.
- Described as smart, brave, and strong, Sarah was studying to be a physician assistant and deeply loved by all who knew her.
- This incident highlights the deadly link between gun violence and intimate partner abuse, with 70 women killed monthly in the US.
Image credits: GoFundMe
The murder occurred near Woodland Villa Apartments in the Detroit area, according to Michigan officials.
Westland Police arrived at the scene and ruled it a murder-suicide.
Her mother, Jennifer Carroll, said Sarah Carroll was in the process of getting a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend.
“She was with Lincoln, her ex-boyfriend, for almost a year and they were having trouble,” she told Fox 2.
“He was stalking her for the past two months. And he came here last night, shot her, called 911, said he killed his girlfriend, and then shot himself.”
The parents were not aware of the stalking before the murder.
“To other parents – watch your kids,” Carroll told Click on Detroit. “Try to get more into their life, try to get them to be open and talk to you.”
Image credits: WXYZ-TV Detroit/YouTube
Sarah’s father, James Carroll, said she was shot multiple times with a shotgun.
He added that her ex-boyfriend “was suffering from mental illness” when he killed his daughter.
Sarah was studying to become a physician assistant, her father noted.
“She was loved by everybody. Everybody she met,” he said. “She was wonderful. I’m going to miss my baby.”
The page describes her as “smart, brave, strong, and with a smile that lit up every room she entered.”
“She was only just beginning her journey, and losing her at such a young age is something no family should ever have to go through,” the page’s organizer, Deborah Carroll, wrote.
After taking Sarah’s life, the ex-boyfriend, Lincoln, turned the weapon on himself
Image credits: GoFundMe
“We love and miss her more than words can ever say. Thank you for your prayers, your donations, and the love you’ve shown our family during this heartbreaking time.”
The family also organized a balloon release with friends and family in Sarah’s memory at the apartment complex on Sunday evening.
The Westland Police Department said it will release additional details on the murder-suicide this week.
Gun violence has been linked to intimate partner violence in the U.S., with an average of 70 women being shot and killed by a partner every month, according to an analysis by Everytown Research, based on data between 2020-22.
