Sarah Carda, Minnesota woman shot dead by husband on same day of obtaining protection order against husband following domestic violence. Chisago County woman shot dead as police arrived at couple’s home.
A Minnesota man is facing murder charges after shooting his wife dead, just hours after she obtained an order of protection against him.
Sarah Jane Carda, 35, of Chisago County was shot three times in the head at her Fish Lake Township home Friday. Her husband, Mike Larry Carda, 39, following his arrest was charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and second-degree assault with a deadly weapon.
The woman’s shooting death came as cops made their way to the couple’s home off Elmcrest Avenue on October 6, following revelations that a ‘large number of weapons’ were inside and that people were arguing. A deputy said he knocked on the door, then heard a man’s voice, but no one answered the door.
‘He’s got a gun!’
When he knocked on a nearby window, he heard a woman say, ‘he’s got a gun,’ according to court documents. Despite being asked several times, no one in the residence made their way outside.
The deputy then heard three gunshot rounds and stepped away from the window as the bullets shattered through the glass. A SWAT team arrived and law enforcement used a drone to gain access into the home through the shattered window.
‘[The deputy] then heard gun shots from the bedroom. He backed away from the window he had just knocked on and three more rounds were shot through the same window from the bedroom,’ an affidavit read.
The drone showed images of a woman, later identified as Sarah Carda, lying unresponsives with gunshots to her head. Mike Carda was seen in a bedroom with two firearms. He refused to surrender, prompting deputies to send in a police dog. He was subsequently taken into custody.
The wife was pronounced dead shortly after, with the cause of death listed as homicide.
Order of protection obtained hours before domestic violence shooting death
A probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime indicated that Sarah had obtained an order of protection against her husband at noon on the day of the shooting. The protective order reportedly stemmed from an incident earlier the year in which the defendant is accused of pushing his wife to the ground and stopping her from calling police.
In a Facebook post, the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office stated that the death of Sarah, who was a registered nurse at the county’s correctional facility since 2014, was a result of domestic violence.
‘Our hearts are broken and our agency is devastated as we grieve the loss of our fellow employee, partner, and friend,’ read the statement. ‘Words cannot fully describe the shock and pain our agency and community are feeling. Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences are with Sarah’s family and friends.’
Mike Carda remains behind bars on $2 million bond and is next scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 24.
Fish Lake Township is located 55 miles north of Saint Paul.
