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Deadly domestic violence incidents spark call for change
All agencies dealing with domestic violence have been talking about this disturbing increase in murders stemming from toxic relationships where the threat of danger has been constant.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A rash of murders linked to domestic violence has local non-profit leaders sounding the alarm about the need to get help to survivors before it’s too late.
At least four women have been killed in recent weeks.
Big picture view:
All agencies dealing with domestic violence have been talking about this disturbing increase in murders stemming from toxic relationships where the threat of danger has been constant.
In recent days, police say 20-year-old Sarah Carroll was shot to death in Westland by an ex-boyfriend who then took his own life. Her family told FOX 2 she was in the process of getting a Personal Protection Order and had been stalked for the past two months.
Earlier this week, Canton Police said they were investigating a fatal domestic assault after finding a 30-year-old woman dead inside a home on Pinehurst Drive. That case is still under investigation.
In August, Latricia Green was killed after investigators say her ex-husband, Mario Green, walked into Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and shot her.
FOX 2 confirmed she had an active PPO against Green after filing twice to get one. The first was denied.
What they're saying:
FOX 2 spoke with domestic violence survivor and advocate JoJo Dries of the non-profit support group "On The Wings of Angels" about how she says she left an abusive situation before it was too late and a Birmingham therapist about the need for stronger gun laws.
"Every survivor has a rock bottom," said survivor JoJo Dries. "I hit my rock bottom several times. It was the last time that he pulled my hair, threw me to the floor and basically threw me down the stairs that I said I’d rather live out on the streets or in a friend’s, or in a shelter rather than be dealing with this situation. Once you’ve hit your rock bottom - to me it was about jumping without a net. I didn’t know what the solutions would be but that’s what On The Wings of Angels was created for — it is because we are providing immediate tangible resources. So when I left I didn’t know where I was going to sleep, how I was going to furnish an apartment, but the community stepped in."
"Something is going on with the idea that we own people versus we love people and I think that we are allowing people that shouldn’t be able to use a firearm on someone to have firearms," said therapist Dr. Tracey Stulberg. "One of the things about Extreme Risk Protection Orders is that one of those women had one, which meant she had proof that she had been harmed and those weapons, I believe, were supposed to be taken away."
What you can do:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is always available to take your call. Whether you're seeking help for yourself or asking for advice for a loved one, you can make a toll-free, completely anonymous call any time, any day at 1-800-799-7233.