A Michigan college student, shot and killed in an alleged murder-suicide by a stalker ex, begged for help that came too late

Content warning: This article describes intimate partner violence and mentions suicide. Please take care while reading.

An ex-boyfriend shot and killed a Michigan college student on Saturday, August 30, 2025, before turning the gun on himself, according to Westland, Michigan, police. Reports say the victim, 20-year-old Sarah Carroll, was in the process of receiving a personal protective order from law enforcement over allegations her ex had been stalking her for months.

According to reports, Carroll’s ex, whom police have not yet identified, called 911 from the parking lot of Carroll’s apartment complex and told dispatch he killed his girlfriend. Upon arrival, they discovered Carroll and her ex dead from gunshot wounds. The incident is under investigation as a murder-suicide and was not a random act of violence.

Her ex’s behavior had escalated

Her family reported she’d been living in terror because her ex-boyfriend’s stalking had escalated, leading her to seek a personal protection order. She had confided in friends and was in the process of obtaining a personal protection order (PPO) in Michigan.

A PPO is meant to stop violent and harassing behavior. The order can prohibit an individual from contacting, following, or approaching the person who requested the PPO. Although the legal system intends for the process to be swift in urgent cases, officials must serve the order to the restrained person before they can fully enforce it.

Carroll’s family and friends are mourning the loss of a vibrant and promising young woman. Her parents, Jennifer and James Carroll, shared with local news outlets that Sarah was a student at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan, near Westland, about 20 miles west of Detroit, with aspirations of becoming a physician assistant. They described her as funny, smart, and deeply loved by all who knew her.

Her father said, “She was loved by everybody. Everybody she met. Just wonderful. I’m going to miss my baby.” Carroll’s friends and family released balloons in her honor the day after she died.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.